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THE GOSPEL DAY; 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 



By CHARLES E. ORR. 



The light of Christianity 
Now sheds its peaceful ray, 

To light us on our journey home 
To an eternal day. 



1904: 
GOSPEL TRUMPET COMPANY, 

MOUNDSVILLE, W. VA. 



T<\ 



LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
Two Copies Received 

JAN 20 1904 

Copyright Entry 
LASS * XXc. No, 

9 4 fa w- s 

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Copyrighted, 1904, 

BY 

Gospel Trumpet Company. 



PREFACE. 



Our task is finished. It has not been a disagreeable, 
unpleasant one, but joyous. Many times our soul 
was blessed and lifted up as the Spirit set before our 
mind the wondrous beauty of Christianity. In our 
soul we experience a deep sense of gratitude to God 
for his aid and guidance in this work. Many were the 
prayers we offered unto him for the aid of the Holy 
Spirit in the prosecution of this work. He has heard 
and answered our prayer, and we are satisfied. Praises 
be unto God! We lay no claims to literary ability; 
we have not studied to display such talent in this 
volume. We have only endeavored to give simple, 
plain truth respecting a holy life. We have endeav- 
ored to lift up true Christianity to its proper plane 
and to remove as far as possible, the clouds of error 
that have long obscured its beautiful, pellucid light. 
How far we have succeeded we leave to the reader. 

This work would not be much of a production for 
some minds, but for ours it is quite an achievement. 
It is much more original than we at first intended it to 
be : however, we have selected from the Gospel Trump- 
et the following • subjects : ' ' Woman 's Freedom, ' ' 
"Eating of Meat," and "The Sin Against the Holy 
Ghost," which were written by Geo. L. Cole, Russel 
Austin, and A. L. Byers, respectively. All other se- 
lections are, we believe, properly acknowledged where 
they appear. 

5 



'"> 



6 PREFACE. 

Seventy-six pages of the original manuscript were 
lost in the mail. This, at first, presented itself as a 
discouragement, but we at once remembered that all 
things work together for good to them that love the 
Lord, consequently we concluded that the Lord want- 
ed some truth brought out that was not contained in 
the first writings ; so we set to our task of reproducing 
the lost pages with a will, and God has crowned our 
efforts with a much greater satisfaction to ourselves. 
We now feel we have done what we could, and as this 
manuscript leaves our hand it shall be with a prayer 
that God will make it a rich blessing to many hearts. 

Should this book be the means of lifting up some 
weary, despondent soul, or succeed in turning some 
sinner from the error of his way, or helping some 
deceived one out of his deception, or inspiring some 
fallen one to a truer, nobler life, I shall be many, 
many times repaid for my labor, and shall indeed 
give God the glory. If some one detects an error in 
this work do not be hasty in condemning me, but write 
me, thus giving me opportunity of explaining the sup- 
posed error, or of humbly confessing my fault. With 
deep affection in my soul, I pray the God of heaven 
to bless every reader of this book, and kindly ask all 
who pray to pray that I may do all the good I can in 
this world and gain an eternity in the blissful fields 
of heaven. Yours in Christian love, 

Chas. E. Orr, Federalsburg, Md. 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Introduction 9 

PART J. 

The Morning; or, Christianity in the First Cen- 
turies of This Gospel Age as Revealed 
in the Life and Teaching of 
Christ and the Apostles. 

CHAPTER L— Christianity a Light 30 

CHAPTER II.— The Holy Scriptures 44 

CHAPTER IIL-Sin 52 

CHAPTER IV.-Salvation 56 

CHAPTER V.— The Way from Sin to Per- 
fect Salvation 63 

CHAPTER VI.— Fruits and the Two Works. 101 

CHAPTER YII.-The Church of God 130 

CHAPTER VIII.— The Ordinances of the 

New Testament 152 

CHAPTER IX.— Divine Healing 174 

CHAPTER X.— The Soul ' 181 

CHAPTER XL -Spiritual Culture 192 

CHAPTER XII.— The Course of the World. 221 
CHAPTER XIII.— The Domestic Relation.. 240 
CHAPTER XIV.— Evil Habits and Injuri- 
ous Indulgences 287 



8 CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER XV. -The Trinity 307 

CHAPTER XVI.— Miscellaneous Sub jects . . . 319 

PART II 

The Noonday ; or, The Doctrines of an Apostate 
Religion Obscuring the Gospel Light. 

CHAPTER I.— The Date of the Beginning 
of the Noonday 371 

CHAPTER II.— Scriptural Predictions of an 
Apostasy 383 

CHAPTER III.— False Teaching of the 
Apostasy 434 

PART III. 

The Evening; or, Christianity in the Closing 
Days of This Gospel Era. 

CHAPTER I.— The Apostasy in Two Days. . . 455 
CHAPTER II.— The Time of the Evening. . . 460 



THE GOSPEL DAY; 

Or, The Light of Christianity. 

♦$♦ 

INTRODUCTION. 




Jtef 

N Jesus' name we are here to unveil before 
the reader the picture of a beautiful virgin, 
whom we shall call Christianity. Never was 
there a character seen upon the earth half 
so beautiful as she. In her loveliness she has won the 
heart of many. The proud and noble have been 
brought down to worship at her feet. The lowly have 
been lifted up to admire her gracious charms. Peas- 
ants have invited her into their humble homes, where 
she reigned as a queen of light and peace. Gloom and 
darkness is driven away by her sweet angelic smile. 
She has lifted the despondent out of the vortex of 
despair, and by her animating presence encouraged 
them to bright hopes and a happy life. The bitter 
lot of the poor she has sweetened, and the burden and 
care of riches takes wings and flies away at her ap- 
proach. She has been brought into the presence of 
kings and almost won their hearts. Men have sacri- 
ficed the world to gain her love. She is a ray of 
heavenly light in this dark world. 



10 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

The words of finite man are inadequate to describe 
the true character of Christianity. In our descrip- 
tion we shall exalt h^r* only by the words contained 
in the book sent down from heaven. That alone is 
worthy to eulogize her name. When the reader has 
followed our delineation to the close, and inspected 
every feature of this virtuous queen, we trust the de- 
cision of his heart will be yet deeper than his who 
said, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian." 

Christianity should be full of interest to all man- 
kind, She not only cools the heated brow, cheers the 
drooping heart, and strews life's pathway with flow- 
ers of peace, but she deals with man's eternal destiny. 
She will smooth the rough places all along his journey 
of life, and when he has come down to the end, it is 
she that will bear him across the valley and welcome 
him to the home prepared for his eternal inhabitancy. 

Since the day of her nativity she has had a bitter 
obstinate foe, Satan, and wicked men have combined 
to bespoil her white robes and mar her fair form. 
They have struggled long and hard to "bring her low. 
They have endeavored to extinguish her radiant light 
and defame her true character. We have only to take 
a stroll through the halls of denominationalism to 
learn how far they have succeeded. To many pews 
and pulpits our virgin has no excellence or beauty. 
In the pulpit orator's exposition of her she is not 
exalted one whit above the coarse, vulgar world. Satan 
has succeeded in veiling her fair form and true virtues 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 11 

from the hearts of many. In the opinions of many she 
is reduced to a mere nothing. Angels weep to see her 
fair robes trailed in the dust. Those who pretend to 
love her have brought her to shame. The low, degrad- 
ing opinions entertained regarding her throughout 
the realms of sectarianism grieves the souls of her 
true admirers. They have brought her down from her 
pure, high throne and mingled her with the lives of 
ordinary sinful men. They have stripped her of her 
clean, white garments and covered her with a cloak 
of many colors. They have robbed her of her virtues 
and have stained her fair name until to-day all that 
is seen of Christianity in the aristocratic circles of 
Christendom is a maiden weeping over her stained 
vesture, lost virginity and reproached name. Thank 
God, such is true only in appearance. True Christi- 
anity is seen by her few devoted followers to-day the 
same pure, spotless virgin, the same queen of peace 
and light, as when she crowned the brow of the lowly 
Nazarene and his immediate followers. -She has lost 
none of her virtuous charms. She is true. She reigns 
a lovely queen, glorious in power, pure in principle, 
''Clear as the sun, fair as the moon, and terrible as 
an army with banners." 

Satan has robed a harlot and named her Christianity 
and succeeded in imposing her upon many in the 
world. They are fondling with her. She indulges 
them in sensuality, while encouraging them to hope in 
a peaceful immortality. The kings of the earth have 



12 THE GOSPEL DAY; OE, 

committed fornication with her. They are reveling, 
feasting and banqueting with her, crazed by her 
seductive charms. She has neither purity, peace, nor 
power. Her robes are defiled by sin. She scoffs at 
pure Christianity and calls her old-fashioned. This 
strange young woman is using every device to allure 
souls into her wanton chamber. She is most subtle 
of heart. She "nattereth with her words. In the 
twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night, 
she walketh in the streets, and lieth wait at every 
corner, that she might catch and kiss him who is void 
of understanding. ' ' With a beguiling, impudent face 
she says to him: "I have peace offerings with me; I 
have decked my bed with tapestry, with carved 
works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my 
bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come let us 
take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace 
ourselves with love." 

Such is the gay, fast, frivolous Christianity of the 
popular present day religions of our honored land. 
The generality of denominational membership (we 
speak in love) desire a Christianity that will go with 
them to the halls of pleasure ; that will dine with them 
at the banquets ; that will smile on them as they walk 
in the ways of sin and worldliness, calming their fears 
with her flattering words and peace offerings. Primi- 
tive Christianity, they consider, was good enough for 
primitive days, but she would be a horrid enough old 
maid in these days of progress. In this fast driving 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 13 

age the Christianity that crowned the life of the holy- 
apostles is altogether too antiquated. She drew men 
from the world, she crucified their lust, she taught 
them to practise self-denial and keep their body in 
subjection; she brought them in humility at her feet; 
she led them in the paths of virtue and honor; she 
upbraided them for sin, and told them of the ven- 
geance and wrath of God against every evil. 

The world to-day, in general, is saying, ''Away 
with such an old-time Christianity ; she has no charms 
for us. She is too common and plain, too grave and 
sober. We will not walk with her; give us the gay 
and dashing young harlot that we may walk with her 
amid the pleasures of the world, and with her gratify 
our lusts. She never chides us for sin, nor troubles 
us about the anger of God nor the torments of hell. 
She invites us into her bosom and gives us a sweet 
opiate draught of 'stolen waters and the bread of 
secrecies, and bids us take our 'fill of love.' " 

Dear reader, "go not after her." "Let not thine 
heart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. 
For she hath cast down^many wounded: yea, many 
strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the 
way to hell, going down to the chambers of death. ' ' 

The mission of this volume is to exalt true Chris- 
tianity to her proper plane and reveal her true charac- 
ter by relating to the reader the teachings of Christ 
—her beloved consort— and the experience and teach- 
ings of his inspired followers, and thus tear off the 



14 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

sacrilegious robes of the harlot of false religions and 
expose her shame to the gaze of every honest soul. 

Christianity is not a mere profession, but a princi- 
ple. Every being is possessed with a principle. Satan 
has a principle, which might properly be termed 
devilanity; Christ has a principle which is termed 
Christianity. When this Christ principle is instilled 
into man's soul by the Spirit of God he becomes a 
Christian. He possesses the Christ-life, nature, or 
principle. Now Christ was the truth. Then the 
Christ nature or principle is according to the truth, 
whether it be in Christ or man. We have only then to 
lift up the whole truth, which by the wisdom and 
grace of God we shall do in this work, which will re- 
veal true Christianity and expose every imposition. 
Christ is the vine; Christians are the branches. The 
vine and the branches are of the same nature. The 
branches retain life by abiding in the vine. They 
who abide in Christ walk (or live) even as Christ 
walked (or lived; ; that is, the vine and the branches 
bear the same kind of fruit. This is the philosophy 
of true Christianity. Anything bearing fruit in 
nature contrary to the truth or Christ principle is not 
Christianity, but is devilanity. "Ye are of your fa- 
ther the devil, and the lusts of your father will ye 
do ; " or sinful fruit ye will bear. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 15 



CHEISTIAN POWER 

Christianity— stately queen, 
Virgin— loveliest ever seen, 
Fairest art thou upon the earth, 
And of a higher, nobler birth. 
When king Agrippa heard thy name, 
And how abroad was spread thy fame, 
And saw thee lovely as thou art, 
Thou almost won his heathen heart. 
When in the midnight's gloomy hour, 
The Komish jailer saw thy power, 
When thund'ring tones his ear did greet, 
He trembling worshiped at thy feet. 
When kneeling down beside the dead, 
In sacred, solemn tones, thou said, 
' ' Dorcas, in Jesus ' name arise, ' ' 
And opened were the woman's eyes. 
When man four days in death had lain, 
Thou gavest him back his life again. 
When woman did her sin deplore, 
Thou whispered, "Go, and sin no more." 
When wicked Simon saw thy power 
He strove to win thee with a dower; 
Within his sinful heart he thought 
Thy power with money could be bought; 
Thou spurned his offer and made bold, 
To bid him perish with his gold. 
They lied to thee and lost their life, 
Both Ananias and his wife. 
Such was thy power in days of yore, 
And such 'twill be forevermore, 



16 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 



CHEISTIAN PUEITY. 

Fairest art thou among the fair, 
Thy graces none but thee can wear; 
In trailing robes of snowy white, 
Thou art on earth a gleam of light; 
Thy cheeks are comely as the rose, 
Thy neck as white as winter snows; 
Thy lips are like a scarlet thread, 
Thy locks like silver on thy head. 
To him who with thee is in love, 
Thou'rt meek and gentle as the dove; 
Virgin, so pure and bold and free, 
No spot is found at all in thee. 
Such was thy purity of yore 
And such 'twill be forevermore. 



THE GOSPEL DAY SEEN IN PROPHECY. 



Upon reading the account of man's creation in the 
first chapters of Genesis we conclude that he enjoyed 
perfect peace and happiness. Prom the beautiful de- 
scriptio'i given there of the garden of Eden— man's 
abode— we understand that God was interested in his 
felicity. In the nature of created things he could re- 
tain this happiness only by obedience to the Creator's 
laws. By a subtle foe he was induced to transgress 
those laws and thus became acquainted with sin and 
sorrow. After the transgression he hid himself among 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 17 

the trees of the garden from the presence of the 
Lord because a fear rested upon his conscious being. 

Man in sweet felicity was made, 
But sorrowed when God he disobeyed. 

The man was turned out upon the world to earn his 
support by labor. The ground was cursed for his 
sake. It brought forth thorns and thistles, and in 
sorrow he must eat of it all the days of his life. 
Cherubims and a naming sword prevented his return 
to the tree of life, which stood in the midst of the 
garden. The apostle John in his revelations beheld 
this sad scene. He saw the book of life — tree of life — 
to be sealed with seven seals, and he saw a strong an- 
gel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy 
to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof ? And 
no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the 
earth, was able to open the book, neither to look there- 
on, ' ' and he wept much. Rev. 5 : 1-4. How sad the 
scene ! Man was created in holiness and happiness. 
He dwelt in the garden of Eden and had access to 
the tree of life, the very source of peace. But sin 
entered his heart. He was driven away to be in 
sorrow all his days. No man in heaven nor earth 
could secure his return. God saw his wretchedness 
and that his "wickedness was great in the earth" and 
"it grieved him at his heart." Gen. 6:5, 6. Sin 
swayed its scepter over the heart of man and he 



18 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

groaned beneath its tyrannical power, but God's mercy 
was not "clean gone forever." They cried unto the 
Lord because of the oppressors and he promised to 
send them a "Savior, and a great one," to deliver 
them. Isa. 19 : 20. Man was encaged in the prison- 
house of sin, but God promised to send a deliverer 
' ' to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening 
of the prison to them that are bound. ' ' Isa. 61 : 1. 

The beloved apostle John, in the vision before men- 
tioned, wept because no man was found worthy to 
open the book; but one of the elders said unto him, 
"Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe • of Juda, 
the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, 
and to loose the seven seals thereof." Praise God! 
John in his vision saw 'the man fall from his pure 
and happy state into sin and the book of life becoming 
sealed. He also saw that no man in heaven nor earth 
was able to restore him to his original place and holi- 
ness, and it caused him to weep. But in his vision 
there appeared one who prevailed to open the book 
and "redeem us unto God out of every kindred and 
tongue and people and nation. ' ' 

In the prophetic days of ancient Israel men who 
walked with God and trusted in his promises were 
permitted a visionary look down through the cen- 
turies to behold the dawning of a day glorious in the 
effulgency of its light and the greatness of its power. 
Even in those dim, remote days the wondrous glory 
of a day when the ' ' Prince of Peace ' ' should come was 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 19 

foreseen by the prophets, who break forth in beauti- 
ful strains of music, expressing their joy and admira- 
tion. Isaiah in speaking of that expected day says, 
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory 
of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the 
darKness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness 
the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and 
his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles 
shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of 
thy rising." Isa. 60: 1-3. 

It is a day of wonderful light. When the prophet 
speaks of the Gentiles coming to the light the reader 
begins to understand the time of the dawning. He 
further says, "Violence shall no more be heard in 
thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders ; 
but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates 
Praise. The sun shall be no more thy light by day; 
neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto 
thee : but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting 
light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more 
go down ; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself : 
for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the 
days of thy mourning shall be ended. ' ' Isa. 60 : 18-20. 

The prophet by a long stretch of faith passed 
through the gates of Praise to within the walls of 
Salvation and beheld a light above the brightness of 
the sun and the softness of the moon. We quote these 
texts, and the following, to impress the reader's mind 
and heart with the greatness of the light and the 



20 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

wonders of that coming day as seen in expectation by 
those ancient holy men. After a while we will come 
to the dawning, then the noontide, then the evening 
of this great day, and we will find the glory and the 
wonders to be as the prophets foresaw and described. 
What can the holy seer mean by saying, "Violence 
shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor 
destruction within thy borders"? We have only to 
turn to the eleventh chapter, where we have this 
clearly explained. Let us read: "And there shall 
come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a 
Branch shall grow out of his roots : and the spirit of 
the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom 
and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, 
the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; 
and shall make him of quick understanding in the fear 
of the Lord : and he shall not judge after the sight of 
his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears ; 
but with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and re- 
prove with 'equity for the meek of the earth: and 
he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and 
with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 
And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, 
and faithfulness the girdle of his reigns. The wolf 
also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall 
lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young 
lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall 
lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; 
their young ones shall lie down together : and the lion 



'THE LlGH^t OP CHRISTIANITY. 21 

shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child 
shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child 
shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall 
not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain : for the 
earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as 
the waters cover the sea. And in that day there shall 
be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of 
the people ; to it shall the Gentiles seek : and his rest 
shall be glorious.' ' 

Who does not know who is referred to by the words 
"the Root of Jesse," whom the Gentiles shall seek, 
"and his rest shall be glorious"? We hear of one 
saying in the New Testament, * ' Come unto me, all ye 
that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you 
rest. " " Violence shall no more be heard in thy land. ' ' 
' ' The wolf shall dwell with the lamb ' ' in the day when 
the Gentiles shall seek rest in the Root of Jesse. 
This prophecy will never have a literal fulfilment, 
as some erroneously teach. It only exalts the salva- 
tion of the Branch of Jesse to deliver men from the 
wolf and lion disposition. It is the peacefulness of 
Christianity. In the day the prophet is speaking of 
there shall be peace on the earth. Man can find de- 
liverance from sin and obtain a peaceful rest— not 
being disturbed by evil and ill dispositions. 

Isaiah in again beholding this glorious rest-day dis- 
covers a way which is called the way of holiness. 
He says, "The unclean shall not pass over it; . . . 
no lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall 



22 ^THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the 
redeemed shall walk there : and the ransomed of the 
Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and 
everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain 
joy and' gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee 
away. ' ' Isa. 35 : 8-10. Any one can understand that 
a literal beast is not meant here when he speaks of a 
lion, but that wicked, unclean men can not walk in 
the way of holiness— only the redeemed can walk 
there. 

Earlier in this chapter he speaks of the eyes of the 
blind being opened, and the ears of the deaf being 
unstopped, and the lame being made to leap as a hart, 
and the tongue of the dumb being made to sing. 
We have only to read the New Testament to learn 
of the fulfilment of this prophecy. In that day men 
of unclean, ravenous, and lion-like natures shall find 
deliverance and be made gentle, lowly and humble— 
' ' The wolf and the lamb shall dwell together. ' ' What 
a wonder and expectation must have filled the hearts 
of those devout men in those days of darkness and 
gloom, as they looked forward to that time when the 
blind should see, the deaf hear, and the lame walk; 
when there should be no more violence nor destruc- 
tion nor wasting, but there should be songs of ever- 
lasting joy, and sorrow and sighing would flee away. 

' ' In that day shall this song be sung in the land of 
Judah ; we have a strong city ; salvation will God ap- 
point for walls and bulwarks." Isa. 26:1. In that 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 23 

day salvation's walls shall surround the people of 
God. In the time of this prophet it was stone walls 
that surrounded their city, but he looked forward to 
a time when the walls of salvation would surround 
the city of God. Salvation means deliverance. In 
that day the people of God should find a deliverance 
or cleansing from sin. -It is the gospel day when 
Christ should offer a sacrifice for the whole world. 
The people cried unto God because of their oppress- 
ors, and he sent them a Savior, and a strong one, to 
deliver them. Isa. 19 : 20. 

Were we to turn to the first chapter of the gospel by 
Luke we would there learn who this deliverer was. 
There we read : ' ' Blessed be the Lord God of Israel : 
for he hath visited and redeemed his people, and hath 
raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of 
his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his 
holy prophets, which have been since the world began : 
that we should be saved from our enemies, and from 
the hand of all that hate us; to perform the mercy 
promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy 
covenant; the oath which he sware to our father 
Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being 
-delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve 
him without fear, in holiness and righteousness be- 
fore him all the days of our life." 

By reading the whole of this chapter you will learn 
that this horn of salvation, this deliverer, was the 
child Christ Jesus. This deliverer was to appear in 



24 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

that day. The most simple will at once understand 
that the day foreseen and foretold by the holy seers 
was the Christian dispensation, or the day of "grace 
and truth. * ' 

The prophet again exclaims : ' ' And in that day thou 
shalt say, Lord, I will praise thee: though thou 
wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and 
thou comfortedst me. Behold, God is my salvation; 
I will trust, and not be afraid : for the Lord Jehovah 
is my strength and my song ; he also is become my sal- 
vation. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out 
of the wells of salvation. And in that day shall ye 
say, Praise the Lord. ' ' Isa. 12 : 1-4. ' ' In that day 
shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious, 
and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and 
comely for them that are escaped of Israel. And it 
shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and 
he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy. ' ' 
Isa. 4:2, 3. 

The prophet Joel in contemplation of that day of 
great blessings says: "And it shall come to pass in 
that day, that the mountains shall drop down new 
wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the 
rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain 
shall come forth of the house of the Lord, and shall 
water the valley of Shittim. ' ' Joel 3 : 18. 

Zechariah in beholding this fountain exclaims : " In 
that day there shall be a fountain opened to the 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 25 

house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem 
for sin and for uncleanness. ' ' Zech. 13 : 1. 

Wonderful Fountain of cleansing, 

The prophet did foresee, 
Deep Fountain of peace and glory 

Opened to all shall be. 

The prophet again in beholding the glory and puri- 
ty of that day says : " In that day shall there be upon 
the bells of the horses, holiness unto the lord." 
Zech. 14:20. 

The prophet did foretell a day, 
Through which extends a holy way, 
Where walk the ramsomed of the Lord, 
Made pure in heart, through Jesus' blood. 

Another man of God is permitted to look down 
through the darkness and see the glory of this day of 
cleansing. "But who may abide the day of his 
coming ? and who shall stand when he appeareth ? for 
he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: 
and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver : and 
he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as 
gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord 
an offering in righteousness. ' ' Mai. 3:2, 3. In that 
day there shall be a fountain of cleansing, or a fire 
of refining, when hearts shall be made pure as 
gold and silver is refined and made pure. It is the 
day in which Isaiah says, "Though your sins be as 
scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they 
be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. ' ' Isa. 1 : 18. 



26 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

The day foretold by this holy train of Old Testa- 
ment prophets was spoken of as a day of "peace and 
rest"; a day of "praise and salvation"; a day of 
' ' refining " ; a day when a ' ' cleansing fountain shall 
be opened"; a day when "scarlet stains shall be 
made white as snow"; a day when "the lame man 
shall leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall 
sing," and the deaf ears shall hear, and blind eyes 
be made to see ; a day when the ransomed of the Lord 
shall return and come unto Zion with songs and ever- 
lasting joy upon their heads; a day when "the des- 
ert shall blossom as the rose " ; a day when the wolf 
and the lamb shall dwell together; a day when the 
' ' Branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious. ' ' 
Praise God! 

That day seen so far away by those righteous men 
awakened songs of praise in their hearts. They were 
not speaking of the eternal day in the glory world; 
neither of a supposed millennial age, but of this pres- 
ent glorious dispensation of grace and salvation. It 
requires only two texts to clearly prove this. The 
first is Isa. 49 : 8 : " Thus saith the Lord, In an ac- 
ceptable time have I heard thee, and in a day of sal- 
vation have I helped thee." The second is found in 
2 Cor. 6:2. Paul here quotes this promise the Lord 
made, and then says, "Behold now is the accepted 
time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Again 
in Rom. 13 : 12 the apostle speaks of his having ar- 
rived at that day. He says, ' ' The night is far spent, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 27 

the day is at hand, let us therefore cast off the works 
of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light." 
How beautiful ! The Christian 's armor in the ' ' day 
of salvation" is one of light, the darkness is flown 
away. The Old Testament writer said that in that 
day God would send a Savior. In the New Testament 
it is recorded that "unto you is born this day in the 
city of David a Savior, Avhich is Christ the Lord." 
The Savior God had promised was the Christ, and the 
day was now come. 

All hail the glad gospel day, 
Peace and good will to men; 

The darkness has flown away, 
And grace has conquered sin. 

By many a prophetic Old Testament text that day 
of wonderful light and glory was spoken of as a day 
when God's salvation should appear. In the second 
chapter of Luke it is recorded that there lived in Je- 
rusalem a just and devout man, who knowing those 
prophetic sayings concerning that great day of con- 
solation, waited for its dawning. It was revealed unto 
him by the Holy Spirit that he should not see death, 
before he had seen the Lord's Christ. He came by 
the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents 
brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the cus- 
tom of the law, then took he him up in his arms, and 
blessed God, and said, "Lord, now lettest thou thy 
servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for 
mine eyes have seen thy salvation." Simeon, as he 
looked upon this young child, saw the salvation the 



28 THE GOSPEL DA¥. 

ancient prophets saw only by faith. The day of which 
they prophesied the Holy Spirit witnessed to his heart 
he should live to see, and he saw it. It was the dawn- 
ing of the day of Christian power and purity, in 
which we shall find came to pass all the prophetic 
wonders of salvation. You need not look forward to 
some marvelous coming age in which to find a fulfil- 
ment of these prophecies, but ' ' to-day if ye will hear 
his voice, harden not your hearts." "How shall we 
escape if we neglect so great salvation?" 

For convenience and clearness we have thought 
best to divide this work into three parts. Part first 
to consist of the revealing of Christianity as seen in 
the life and teaching of Christ and the teaching 
and lives of his followers during the first few cen- 
turies of this Christian era, which is termed the morn- 
ing of the gospel day. Part second will consist of the 
apostolic prophecies with possibly a few Old Testa- 
ment prophecies concerning an apostasy during the 
middle centuries, or, the noontide of the gospel day; 
also showing that these prophecies find an exact ful- 
filment in the customs and doings of the popular re- 
ligious denominations of this present time. Part third 
will consist of the prophecies relating to the restora- 
tion of the glorious truths of Christianity, or a return 
of God's people to the apostolic plane of Christian faith 
and power and teaching in the evening of this day 
of salvation. With this introduction we feel confident 
the reader understands the plan of this work and will 
readily comprehend its teachings. "Consider what 
I say ; and the Lord give thee understanding, ' ' is my 
prayer. 



PART I. 

THE MORNING; 

(Isa. 21:11, 12.) 
or, 

CHRISTIANITY IN THE FIRST CENTURIES 

OF THIS GOSPEL AGE AS REVEALED 

IN THE LIFE AND TEACHING OF 

CHRIST AND THE APOSTLES. 



In this division of this work we desire to set forth 
in a clear, comprehensive manner the true character 
and principles of Christianity as seen in the teach- 
ings of the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is our only 
source of knowledge respecting the true nature of a 
Christian life. Man may presume, but the Scriptural 
declarations are in verity. The New Testament sets 
forth in such clearness the nature of a Christian heart 
and the conduct that naturally issues from such a 
heart that none need be deceived as to their spiritual 
standing. Christianity is in absolute and perfect ac- 
cord with the Holy Scriptures. This is a fact that 
all must concede. No matter what may be the phi- 
losophy and theory of man, Christianity is just what 
the Bible plainly declares it to be. A life that is out 
of harmony with the sacred truth can not be a Chris- 
tian life. For this reason we desire to set forth the 
principal teachings of the New Testament respecting 

practical Christianity. 

29 



30 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

CHAPTER I. 
CHRISTIANITY A LIGHT. 



Throughout the Scriptures Christianity is spoken 
of as a light. The Christian era is referred to as a day. 
A day is when the light shineth. In speaking of the 
beautiful dawning of the Star of Christianity the 
prophet says: "And the Gentiles shall come to thy 
light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising." 
' ' Arise, shine ; for thy light is come. ' ' " The sun shall 
be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness 
shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord 
shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God 
thy glory." Isa. 60. "It is not meant to say here that 
Christians have no need of the light of the sun or 
the moon, but to teach that the light of the sun and 
the brightness of the moon is not to be compared to 
the transcendent light of Christianity. Whose heart 
has not been touched with a feeling of admiration as 
they beheld the bright dawning of the round, red 
sun, or the beautiful rising of a full moon? These 
are not to be compared with the "brightness of the 
rising" of the gospel day. "To them which sat in 
the region and shadow of death light is sprung up." 
Mat. 4: 16. "Through the tender mercy of our God, 
whereby the dayspring [sun rising— margin] from 
on high hath visited us, to give light to them that 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 31 

sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide 
our feet into the way of peace. ' ' Luke 1 : 78, 79. 

Jesus says of himself, "I am the root and the off- 
spring of David, and the bright and morning star." 
Rev. 22 : 16. Christ speaking to the church at Thya- 
tira, says to those that overcome and keep his works 
unto the end, that he will give them the morning 
star. Rev. 2 : 28. He will give them the true light 
and glory of Christianity, or his own light and na- 
ture. All will do well to take heed to do his works 
"until the day dawn and the day star arise in their 
hearts. ' ' 

In the natural world there is a literal solar system 
consisting of the sun, moon and planets. The sun is 
the center around which all the planets revolve, and 
from which they receive their light. The moon bor- 
rows its light from the sun. When some object in- 
terposes between the moon and the sun the moon is 
left in darkness. In the spiritual world there is a 
spiritual solar system consisting of sun, moon and 
stars. As in the literal system, the moon and stars 
revolve around the Sun and borrow their light there- 
from. 

THE SPIRITUAL SUN OR LIGHT. 

It is not difficult to glean from the Scriptures 
the knowledge of the true center of this spiritual 
solar system, or the true source of light. The last 
writer of the Old Testament Scriptures, in his last 



32 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

chapter says : * * But unto you that fear my name shall 
the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his 
wings." All understand this text to refer to the 
Lord Jesus. His visitation to this world, through the 
mercy of God, is termed, "The sun-rising." Luke 1: 
78, margin. Christ is the Sun and true source of 
light of the gospel day. The church of God collec- 
tively is the moon of this spiritual solar system, and 
its individual members are the stars. In the Savior's 
prophecy as recorded in Mark 13 : 24, 25, the term 
' ' sun " is a metaphor, signifying Christ ; the ' ' moon, ' ' 
the church, as a whole; the "stars," Christians, or 
especially the ministry. 

This darkening of the sun and moon and the fall- 
ing of the stars we will clearly explain in part sec- 
ond of this work. The church of God receives its 
light from Jesus. He is " the light of the world. ' ' . 
In the language of Isa. 60 : 1 the church is addressed : 
"Arise, shine; for thy light is come." Christ is her 
light. The church shines by the light of Christ, as 
the moon shines by the light of the sun. "Out of 
Zion [the church of God], the perfection of beauty, 
God hath shined. ' ' The church as a whole is a bril- 
liant reflector to reflect the light of Christ to this uni- 
verse. Every Christian is a bright spot in this lu- 
minous reflector. Amen. ' ' Let your light so shine. ' ' 

A few years ago, one beautiful Sunday summer 
evening, as we were on our way to an appointed 
meeting, we observed the moon rising in the splendor 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 66 

of its fulness. It shed its soft, peaceful rays over the 
earth in marked beauty. After a short time we be- 
came aware of a gathering darkness. On looking up 
we saw a dark object gathering over the moon. Slow- 
ly, but surely the dark object crept on until all was 
darkened. Not one ray of light fell from the moon. 
The sun had ceased to shine upon her. We understood 
that the world had come in between the sun and the 
moon and obstructed the sun's rays. The same is 
true of the spiritual moon, the church. In the first 
few centuries of this Christian day it shone with the 
light and glory of God, but the time came when the 
"moon [church] ceased to give her light/ ' and all be- 
cause, as we will learn, the world came between it 
and the Sun (Christ). 

CHRISTIAN POWER AND PURITY. 

Christianity is a light in this world because of the 
greatness of its power and the excellence of its puri- 
ty. John, who is denominated the forerunner of 
Jesus, or the heralding star of Christianity, said that 
"he was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness 
of that Light. That was the true Light, which lighteth 
every man that cometh into the world. ' ' John 1:8, 9. 
Of whom speaketh the prophet then? The Son of 
God will answer this question in these words: "I am 
the light of the world : he that f olloweth me shall not 
walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. ' ' 
John 8 : 12. Jesus was the light of the world because 
3 



34 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

of his power and purity. All power was given unto 
him in heaven and in earth. Mat. 28 : 18. 

He was holy, harmless and undenled. Heb. 7 : 26. 
The Lord Jesus lived a pure and holy life. "He did 
no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth." He 
had power to open the blind eyes, to unstop the deaf 
ears, to loose the dumb tongue, to make the lame 
man leap as a hart, and to heal all manner of diseases, 
and to raise the dead. There is no sin in heaven ; there 
is no sickness there. He brought the light of heaven 
to this world in displaying his power over sin and 
disease. Glory to his name! 

We wish to impress this fact upon the reader's 
mind that he was a light because of his purity and 
power, and because he was the "Truth." And now 
if you will but believe it, that is the true light of 
Christianity. The Lord Jesus was only a visitant. 
His stay on earth was transient. He came from heav- 
en, and heaven soon again received him. Referring 
to his departure he said to his disciples: "Yet a little 
while is the light with you. Walk while ye have 
the light; . . . while ye have light, believe in the 
light, that ye may be the children of light." John 
12:35, 36. 

Again he says, ' ' As long as I am in the world, I am 
the light of the world. ' ' John 9 : 5. We learn the sad 
story of his crucifixion, then the glad news of his 
resurrection, and then his ascension in a cloud to the 
glory, from whence he came. Is the light of Chris- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 35 

tianity gone from the world ? Is this world left again 
in darkness ? No ; thank God ! Jesns now says to his 
devoted followers : "Ye are the light of the world. A 
city that is set on a hill can not be hid." Mat. 5: 14. 
It is the "city of Zion, the perfection of beauty," 
out of which God doth shine. "The glory of God is 
risen upon her." Jesus told them to believe in the 
light while they had the light, that they might be the 
children of light. Paul, in exhorting Christians to 
a holy life, said: "That ye may be blameless and 
harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the 
midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom 
ye shine as lights in the world." Phil. 2: 15. "For 
ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in 
the Lord: walk as children of light." Eph. 5:8. 
"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of 
the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness." 
1 Thes. 5; 5. 

This is the spiritual moon reflecting the light of 
the Sun. It is "God that shineth in thee." They 
are ' ' light in the Lord, ' ' and they are commanded to 
"let their light shine, that God might be glorified." 
This is beautiful. Oh, what a privilege 

To be a vessel transparent, 

Clear as the crystal sea, 
Letting the glorious light of heaven 

Brilliantly shine through thee. 

Beloved saints, take heed that there be not one spot 
in thee to obstruct the light of God. 'Let it shine,' 



36 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Submissively place thyself in the crucible and there 
be polished and refined and purged and cleansed until 
thou art ' ' purer than snow, and whiter than milk, and 
more ruddy than rubies." 

How can the Lord now, since his ascension, shine 
through his church? The Scriptures make this very 
plain. Jesus told his own that he would not long be 
with them, but said, "I will pray the Father, and he 
shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide 
with you forever ; even the Spirit of truth ; whom the 
world can not receive, because it seeth him not, neither 
knoweth him : but ye know him for he dwelleth with 
you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you com- 
fortless: I will come to you." John 14: 16-18. 

In verse twenty-six he tells us the Comforter is the 
Holy Ghost. In the second chapter of Acts we have 
the account of the Holy Spirit's coming. If you 
will again look over the quotation from John 14 : 16- 
18 you will notice he uses ''Comforter" and "I" in- 
terchangeably. He will give you another Com- 
forter. "I will not leave you comfortless: I will 
come to you." The Holy Spirit's coming on Pente- 
cost was Christ in another personage. Christ in the 
Spirit has now come to dwell in the midst of his 
people, and to be a light in them. Jesus was here in 
the body on a mission of mercy. He tasted death for 
every man. He comes again in the Spirit to ''reprove 
the world of righteousness, of sin, and of judgment." 
In Heb. 10 : 5 Jesus says, ' ' A body hast thou pre- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 37 

pared me." A body in which to offer a sacrifice for 
the sins of the world. He now has a body in which he 
dwells in the Spirit. Christians are "a holy temple 
in the Lord, in whom they are builded together for a 
habitation of God through the Spirit." Thus God 
inhabits his people, "dwells in them, and walks in 
them. ' ' The church of God is now the body of Christ. 
He is the "head over all things to the church, which 
is his body." Eph. 1: 22, 23; see also Col. 1: 18. 

In speaking of saints in 1 Cor. 12 : 27 the apostle 
says, "Now ye are the body of Christ and members 
in particular." He was the light of the world in 
his incarnation, and now the church, his body, is 
the light of the world. Incarnate he was a light be- 
cause of his purity and power, and he lives the same 
pure life and manifests the same marvelous power 
in his body, the church, as when here in his personal 
ministry. He healed the sick, cast out devils, opened 
blinded eyes, unstopped deaf ears, and raised the 
dead. After the Holy Spirit's coming he performs 
the same wondrous works in his body, the church. 
Through the apostle Peter he healed a lame man, 
restored to life a dead woman, etc. He is "the very 
same Jesus. ' ' When he was here in the flesh he could 
be seen and his marvelous works witnessed by the 
natural eye. The Holy Spirit is imperceptible to 
the natural eye, and therefore can only reveal him- 
self to the world as he works in the midst of his 
people. It is thus that Christians reflect the light of 
Christ. 



38 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

In the sixteenth of Mark the Lord commanded his 
disciples to go "into all the world, and preach the 
gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is 
baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not 
shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them 
that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; 
they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up 
serpents ; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall 
not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and 
they shall recover. So then after the Lord had spoken 
unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat 
on the right hand of God. ' ' ver. 15-19. 

In verse nineteen it is said the Lord was received 
up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. 
In verse twenty it is said, "They [the disciples] 
went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord work- 
ing with them, and confirming the word with signs 
following." The Lord worked with them; then he 
must have returned. He did in the manner we have 
told you. He returned to be a light in the midst of 
his people by confirming the truth wherever it is 
lifted up. He did do it, and he now does it. God 
bears witness to his truth, both with signs and won- 
ders, and divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost. 
Heb. 2 : 4. For Christianity to be a light there must 
be the performance of signs and wonders and divers 
miracles. Such is true Christianity, and such is 
her light, a queen swaying her scepter over the works 
of Satan, setting at liberty the captives, breaking the 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 39 

bands of Satan asunder, healing the diseased, and 
scattering peace and bright hopes in the hearts of 
men. Glory to God f orevermore ! 

THE BEAUTIES OF CHRISTIAN CHARACTER. 

Not only does the Lord dwell in the midst of his 
people to perform deeds and signs of wonder, but 
he dwells in them in all the beauty of his holiness. 
In their hearts he rules a ' * King of peace" and purity. 
Those in whom he dwells "walk even as he walked," 
and ' ' as he is, so are they in this world. ' ' 

A certain writer speaks thus of the beauties of 
Christian character : ' ' Live as we may, age dims the 
luster of the eye, and pales the flush of the cheek, 
while infirmity mars the human form divine. But 
while this is true, dim as the eye is, pallid and sunken 
as may be the face of beauty, frail and feeble 
that once strong, erect and symmetrical form, the 
immortal soul, just fledging its wings for heaven, - 
may look out through those faded windows, as beau- 
tiful as a dewdrop on a summer's morning, as melt- 
ing as the tears that glisten in affection's eye, by 
growing kindly, by cultivating sympathy with all 
mankind, by cherishing forbearance toward the follies 
and fribbles of our race, and feeding day by day on 
that love of God and man which lifts us from the 
brute and makes us akin to angels." 

Christian character is the same whether it be in 
Christians or in Christ. The character of the Savior is 



40 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

also the character of those in whom he dwells. Their 
nature is the same, and their outward life is the 
same. This is what is meant when it is said: "We 
should walk even as he walked. ' ' For the clear proof 
of these few assertions we will arrange in parallel 
columns a few texts of Scripture describing the char- 
acter of Jesus and a few describing the character of 
Christians, and we will find that not anything more 
is said of tne Savior with respect to a holy life than 
is said of his devoted followers. 

CHARACTER OP CHRIST. CHARACTER OP CHRISTIANS. 

LOVELY. 

"His mouth is most sweet: "Behold, thou art fair, my 
yea, he is altogether lovely. ' ' love ; behold, thou art fair ; . . . 
S. of Sol. 5: 16. thou art all fair, my love; 

there is no spot in thee." S. 

of Sol. 4: 1, 7. 

LOWLY. 

"Take my yoke upon you, "Better it is to be of a 

and learn of me; for I am humble spirit with the lowly, 

meek and lowly in heart.' ' than to divide the spoil with 

Mat. 11: 29. the proud." Prov. 16: 19. 

OBEDIENT. 

"For as by one man's dis- "Wherefore gird up the 
obedience many were made loins of your mind, be sober, 
sinners, so by the obedience of and hope to the end for the 
one shall many be made right- grace that is to be brought 
eous." Eom. 5: 19. unto you at the revelation of 

Jesus Christ; as obedient chil- 
dren." 1 Pet. 1: 13, 14. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 41 

COMPASSIONATE. 

1 ' But when he saw the mul- ' ' Finally, be ye all of one 

titudes, he was moved with mind, having compassion one 

compassion on them, because of another, love as brethren, 

they fainted and were scat- be pitiful, be courteous." 1 

tered abroad as sheep having Pet. 3: 8. 
no shepherd.' ' Mat. 9: 36. 

FAITHFULNESS. 
1 ' Faithful is he that calleth ' ' And the things that thou 
you, who also will do it. ' ' 1 hast heard of me among many 
Thes. 5: 24. witnesses, the same commit 

thou to faithful men, who 
shall be able to teach others 
also." 2 Tim. 2: 2. 

FORBEARANCE. 
''Whom God hath set forth "Forbearing one another, 
to be a propitiation through and forgiving one another." 
faith in his blood, to declare Col. 3: 13. 
his righteousness for the re- 
mission of sins that are past, 
through the forbearance of 
God." Eom. 3:25. 

MEEKNESS. 

"Take my yoke upon you, "But let it be the hidden 

and learn of me ; for I am man of the heart, in that which 

meek and lowly in heart." is not corruptible, even the 

Mat. 11 : 29. ornament of a meek and quiet 

spirit, which is in the sight of 
God of great price." 1 Pet. 
3:4. 

LONG-SUFFERING. 
1 ' And account that the long- ' ' With all lowliness and 
suffering of our Lord is sal- meekness, with long-suffering, 
vation." 2 Pet. 3: 15. forbearing one another in 

love." Eph. 4:2. 



42 



THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 



HUMBLENESS. 



"And being found in fash- 
ion as a man, he humbled him- 
self, and became obedient unto 
death, even the death of the 
cross. ' ' Phil. 2 : 8. 



' ' Likewise, ye younger, sub- 
mit yourselves unto the elder. 
Yea, all of you be subject one 
to another, and be clothed with 
humility: for God resisteth 
the proud, and giveth grace to 
the humble." 1 Pet. 5: 5. 



SPOTLESSNESS. 



' ' But with the precious 
blood of Christ, as of a lamb 
without blemish and without 
spot." 1 Pet. 1: 19. 



"Pure religion and unde- 
fined before God and the Fa- 
ther is this, To visit the father- 
less and widows in their afflic- 
tion, and to keep himself 
unspotted from the wosld. " 
Jas. 1: 27. 



MERCIFULNESS. 
' ' The Lord is merciful and ' ' Blessed are the merciful ; 

gracious, slow to anger, and for they shall obtain mercy. ' ' 
plenteous in mercy." Psa. Mat. 5: 7. 
103:8. 

HARMLESSNESS. 
' ' For such an high priest ' ' That ye may be blameless 

became us, who is holy, harm- and harmless, the sons of God, 



less, undefiled, separate from 
sinners, and made higher than 
the heavens. ' ' Heb. 7 : 26. 



without rebuke, in the midst 
of a crooked and perverse na- 
tion, among whom ye shine as 
lights in the world." Phil. 
2: 15. 



GUILELESSNESS. 



"Who did no sin, neither 
was guile found in his 
mouth. ' ' 1 Pet. 2 : 22. 



"Jesus saw Nathanael com- 
ing to him, and saith of him, 
Behold an Israelite indeed, 
in whom is no guile ! ' ' John 
1: 47. 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 43 



SINLESSNESS. 

' ' For we have not an high ' ' Whosoever is born of God 

priest which can not be touch- doth not commit sin; for his 

ed with the feeling of our in- seed remaineth in him: and 

firmities; but was in all points he can not sin, because he is 

tempted like as we are, yet born of God." 1 John 3: 9. 
without sin." Heb. 4: 15. 



Thus we could go ou to a much greater length, 
showing by the Scriptures that the character of a- 
Christian, or his nature or life is the same as the 
life or character of Christ. Christianity is Christ in 
us. The life of a true Christian is one of great 
beauty. It is a light in this world. It is far above the 
ways of sin and worldliness. It is the Christ-life 
in man. The self -life of man has ceased, is crucified ; 
nevertheless he lives, yet not he, but it is Christ 
that liveth in him. The Christian life is inspiring, 
ennobling, clothed in humility. It points the way to 
Christ and heaven. It is a brilliant ornament, which 
in the sight of God is of great price. God places great 
value upon a Christian life. It is worth more than 
ten thousand worlds. Is it not a shame that it is 
trifled with as it is ? Thousands are taking the name 
of Christian, when it is impossible to distinguish them 
from the world ; they emit not one ray of light. 

Esthetics is the science of the beautiful, and treats 
of the feelings produced through the senses by ob- 
jects of beauty. The most vile and dishonest admire 
honesty in others ; thus gentleness, kindness, meekness, 



44 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

produce pleasant feelings and are called beautiful. 
God is the source of meekness, gentleness, and love. 
He is the source of the beautiful. Christianity is God 
in man, exhibiting his beauty. ' ' Lord, let thy beauty 
be upon us." The dewdrop sparkles like a diamond 
as the sun's rays fall upon it. The life of man 
sparkles with an unsurpassed beauty as the rays of 
light and salvation fall upon it from the throne. As 
we behold the beauty of God assimilated into the life 
of man and thus revealed we think what a pity that 
all in the world are not Christians. 

Christian, oh, may thy tribe increase, 
Thy light and glory ne'er decrease; 
Shine on and magnify the Word, 
And point the world to Christ and God. 



CHAPTER II. 
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 



We have said before that Christianity is in perfect 
accord with the Bible. The Word of God reveals 
Christianity to us. It is an infallible expression of 
its doctrines and duties. Jesus is the way to everlast- 
ing rest; the Bible is the guide. Some one has said, 
"Both are equally certain, equally divine. Let us 
be thankful for such unspeakable gifts. Next to the 

mercy of a Savior, able and ready to save to the 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 45 

uttermost all who come unto God by him, is the book 
of inspiration of God, which as a lamp to our feet, 
and a light to our path, conducts us to such a Friend, 
and teaches us the way of salvation. ' ' 

The Word of God is a lamp and a light to guide to 
everlasting bliss, "The entrance of thy word giveth 
light." The word is written in the Christian's heart. 
In his conduct he adorns the doctrine of God our Sav- 
ior and thus reveals the light of the gospel. Christianity 
is therefore a light, because it is a product of the 
truth. We can understand at once then that any- 
thing that is in opposition to the Scriptures can not 
be a light. The nearer the life accords with the whole 
truth the greater the light. The Scriptures contain 
all that is necessary for the formation of a perfect 
Christian. Whosoever submits heart and life to the 
Word of God and walks in obedience to its commands 
will be transformed into the glorious image of the 
Son of God and made ready for that better land. 
The apostle says, "All scripture is given by inspira- 
tion of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, 
for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that 
the man of God may be perfect [a perfect Christian], 
thoroughly furnished unto all good works." 2 Tim. 
3 : 16, 17. 

Tradition is unnecessary for the production of a 
true Christian character. The Scriptures contain all 
the doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction need- 
ful. The Scriptures have but one true interpreter, 



46 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

and but one interpretation. All who rightly under- 
stand the Bible understand it alike. We are aware 
this is contrary to much of the present day teaching. 
Many are now saying that "we can not understand 
the Word of God the same, therefore just as we under- 
stand it so it is unto us. ' ' This is very loose and robs 
the ' ' two-edged sword ' ' of all its sharpness and power. 
It leaves man to interpret it in a manner that will not 
condemn his sinful life A class of grammar students, 
if allowed to analyze sentences and parse words each 
according to his understanding, would never become 
perfect grammarians. One may parse a word as a 
"verb," another the same word as an "adverb," 
another as a "participle," and if each were right ac- 
cording to his understanding, how could we have 
any fixed rules of grammar ? All would be confusion 
and no one would know what is proper speech. 
Students to become efficient scholars must understand 
mathematics, astronomy, botany, etc., alike. Every 
volume written by man if understood rightly must 
be understood alike by all. 

To allow every man his own private interpretation 
of Scripture, or every religious society its interpreta- 
tion is to admit of no certain, no fixed rules govern- 
ing a Christian life. We can illustrate it better in 
this way. A certain rich man has a number of circu- 
lars printed. These circulars he distributes among 
the poor of a certain neighborhood. On these circulars 
he tells them that at the end of twelve months he 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 47 

will give one thousand dollars to each one complying 
with the conditions given below. The conditions are 
these : You must not steal. ' ' Lie not one to another. ' ' 
Do not render evil for evil. Love your enemies, and 
pray for those who despitefully use you. "If thine 
enemy hunger, feed him; and if he thirst, give him 
drink. " " Speak evil of no man. " " Return* good 
for evil." "As ye would that others should do to 
you, do ye even so to them." If a man smite you 
upon the right cheek, turn to him the other also. 
Prefer others before yourself. ' ' Do all things without 
murmuring." Do not wear gold or pearls or costly 
array. Pray when you are afflicted. Do not jest or 
talk foolishly, but have a sound speech. Greet one 
another with a kiss. Wash one another's feet. You 
must all speak the same thing. You must be of one 
mind. If ye do these things you shall receive the 
inheritance, but he that offends in one is guilty of 
all. 

Now who of a sound mind could not understand 
as plain and simple language as this? But suppose 
one man or woman does not want to lay off their gold 
and pearls, so they decide he meant that for women 
of ancient times and not for us. Another thinks the 
command to greet with a kiss means to shake hands. 
Another thinks to visit my neighbor when he is 
sick is washing his feet. To pray when we are afflicted 
is meant for the people of olden time. One man whose 
heart is full of hatred against a neighbor decides 



48 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

no man can love his enemy, therefore this command 
does not mean what it says, so he will go on hating 
his enemy, but expects to get his inheritance. One 
man decides one command means one thing, another 
that it means something else, each one making each 
command to mean that which is most pleasing to 
do. Who wonld receive the one thousand dollars 
at the time appointed ? You can at once see the folly 
of their entertaining hopes of receiving the inheri- 
tance. 

Thousands are thus treating the Word of God, 
saying this and that commandment does not mean 
what it says, but means thus and so, or, it was for 
a people of some other time, etc. At this present 
day there are many who are taking the traditions of 
men and customs of some religious society for their 
rule of life and duty. 

Recently while passing through a strange part of 
the country we stopped at a farmhouse to inquire 
our way. It became convenient to tell the lady, who 
came to answer our inquiry, that we had come into 
her neighborhood to hold a few religious meetings. 
She invited us into her house to see her four weeks' 
old baby which was sick. While talking with her she 
said that she became afraid that her child was going 
to die, so she sent for the minister and had it chris- 
tened. I asked her if she believed that if the babe 
had died without being christened that it would have 
gone to hell. "No," she said, "I do not believe 



THE LIGHT "OP CHRISTIANITY. 49 

that, but I believe that it would have gone to heaven. • ' 
I then asked her, Do you not believe that if your 
little child lives that it will go into sin and some day 
will have to repent and be converted in order to get 
to heaven just the same as if it never had been 
christened? She said that she believed it would. I 
then asked her what good the christening had done 
her child. She answered, ''I do not know.'* I then 
asked her to give me one commandment in the Bible 
obligating her to christen her child. She said, ' ' I know 
of none." I then asked her why she had her babe 
christened. She said, "Because most all the people 
do around here." 

She like thousands of others was taking the custom 
of the neighborhood, or religious order, and never 
searched the Scriptures to know what are the com- 
mandments of God. We need to be doers only of the 
Word of God. "Not every one that saith, Lord, Lord, 
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that 
doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." 
The God of heaven has given laws and fixed rules and 
recorded them in the Holy Scriptures to govern our 
daily life. These laws we are positively commanded 
to obey. To disobey is a sin. 1 John 3 : 4. Sinners 
do not go to heaven. There is not one text in the 
whole Bible encouraging us to hope of going to 
heaven if we are knowingly disobeying any command- 
ment of God. In this present day a mighty con- 
course of people are passing on down the way to an 



50 THE GOSPER DAY; OR, 

eternity, professing to be children of God, but living 
careless and negligent, doing many things they should 
not do, and failing to do a great many things they 
should do. 

This greatly reminds me of the way the people 
regarded a certain stock law that was passed by the 
legislature of our district in my boyhood days. This 
law forbade the running at large of cattle, hogs, sheep, 
etc. Now there was in our neighborhood much of 
what was called "commons." It was unfenced land, 
and was used as a common pasture land for all. Con- 
sequently the enacting of such a law was obnoxious 
to nearly all of the citizens of this neighborhood, 
and it was almost unanimously violated; and because 
it was violated by so many it was never enforced. 
Cattle, sheep, and hogs continued to run at large the 
same as if there was no law prohibiting the same. 
After a time most people had forgotten there was 
such a law. 

The same is true respecting the Word of God. 
People have gone on in their own ways, violating 
those holy laws until many are doing things, and 
do not know there is a law of God forbidding it. 
God 's laws are not held in the high esteem they should 
be. They are his power unto salvation to all that 
believe. They are able to save the soul. They are 
to be kept in remembrance, to be kept in the heart, 
to be obeyed. They are to search, to meditate upon, 
to trust in, to rejoice in, to delight in, to taste, to 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 51 

Jong after, to stand in awe of, to esteem as a light, 
and to be let dwell richly within us. It is the Word 
of God that shall judge us in that great judgment- 
day. They that love God and keep his words, ' ' against 
such there is no law;" consequently they will "have 
boldness in that day." God's law is eternal; it shall 
never pass away. The Lord Jesus says, ' ' Heaven and 
earth shall pass away, but my words shall never pass 
away. " " The word of God which liveth and abideth 
forever." 1 Pet. 1:23. 

The earth and all that therein is shall pass away, 

But God's pure Word shall live and stand for aye and aye: 

Man runs his race of life, then, passing from the scene, 

Returns to dust, and is as though he ne'er had been— 

This is not spoken of the inner man, the soul— 

This, says the Word, shall live while ceaseless ages roll. 

The city with its walls and towers of granite stone, 

Shall be to dissolution brought by rain and sun; 

The ships which round the world on crested wave have flown, 

Go down amid the storm, and never more are known; 

The daring mountain peak, all covered o'er with snow, 

Shall mid terrific blast descend to depths below; 

The proud empire whose scepter sways o'er land and sea, 

Shall fall and pass away ere dawns eternity; 

And haughty finite sovereign power no more shall be, 

The stars in firmament above shall quit their place; 

The waning moon shall cease her still nocturnal race, 

And earth no more sail through immensity of space. 

Because of sin all these shall pass fore'er away, 

Shall melt with fervent heat in that avenging day, 

But God's pure Word shall live and stand for aye and aye. 



52 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

CHAPTER III. 
SIN. 



The time was when there was no sin in this world. 
At that time it was an Eden. By man transgressing 
God's holy law sin entered this world. " Wherefore, 
as by one man sin entered into the world, and death 
by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that 
all have sinned. ' ' Rom. 5 : 12. This is the origin of 
sin in this world and the awful consequence. God's 
design was that his creation be sinless and pure, but 
by disobedience sin has marred the scene of God's 
creative purity. The following texts will acquaint 
the "reader with the characteristics or nature of sin. 

1. Sin is defiling. " There is a generation that are 
pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from 
their filthiness. ' ' Prov. 30 : 12. " Though your sins 
be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though 
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool." Isa. 
1 : 18. Here we see the defiling nature of sin. It 
stains the soul as with scarlet. White is the emblem 
of purity. The pure soul is spoken of as being clothed 
in "fine linen, clean and white." Sin stains those 
robes with crimson, or scarlet spots. Though you 
wash with niter, or with much soap, those deep -dyed 
marks of iniquity can not be thus cleansed away. 

2. Sin is deceiving. " But exhort one another daily, 
while it is called to-day ; lest any of you be hardened 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 53 

through the deceitf ulness of sin. ' ' Heb. 3 : 13. One 
sin has opened the gate or way to many more. There 
is a kind of opiate power in sin that renders its vic- 
tim unconscious of its awful magnitude, thus its 
deceitfulness. 

3 Sin is reproachful. "Righteousness exalteth 
a nation : but sin is a reproach to any people. ' ' Prov. 
14 : 34. We can not enable you to see that sin is a 
reproach in any better way than by placing two pic- 
tures before you. One picture is that of a community 
where all the citizens, old and young, love and fear 
God. They live together in peace and love ; there are 
no quarrelings or contentions, envyings or unkind- 
nesses among neighbors, neither in home life. There 
is no stealing, lying, cheating, swearing, drunkenness, 
fightings, backbitings, vulgarisms, unholy revelries, 
etc. Such manner of life exalts that community, and 
all good -people are desirous of making their homes 
there. 

The second picture is that of a community where 
neighbors are quarreling, hating and lawing with 
each other. In home life there are angry words and 
bitter feelings and estrangements. There are lewd 
revelries and wanton pleasures. There are stealings 
and lyings, cheatings, fightings, swearings, drinking, 
chewing and smoking, slang phrases, etc. Such is a 
reproach, and thus we learn how righteousness ex- 
alts a nation and sin becomes a reproach to any 
people. 



54 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

4. Sin gives death its horror. "The sting of death 
is sin. ' ' 1 Cor. 15 : 56. Many a thing in this world 
carries a sting by which it inflicts pain. Death and 
the thoughts of death are painful and cause a shud- 
der and fear because death has a sting. It is sin. 

5. Sin excludes the soul from heaven.' "Then said 
Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall 
seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye 
can not come." John 8:21. Heaven is a pure and 
holy place. No sin will ever enter there. If we die 
in our sins heaven is lost unto us forever. 

WHAT IS SIN ? 

Many people have become confused concerning a 
sinless life because they did not understand what 
sin was. A temptation or trial is not a sin, but it is 
the yielding to temptation that is a sin. "All un- 
righteousness is sin. ' ' 1 John 5 : 17. All that is wrong 
is sinful. There are but few people that will not 
confess that we should live right in this world. To 
live right in every way is the fruit of righteousness. 
James says, "Therefore to him that knoweth to do 
good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. " 4 : 17. To 
refuse to do a good thing known unto us when we have 
opportunity is wrong and displeasing to God. Solo- 
mon says, "The thought of foolishness is sin. ,, 
"In a multitude of words there wanteth not sin." 
The apostle John clearly and positively defines sin 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 55 

in these words: "Whosoever committeth sin trans- 
gresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of 
the law." 1 John 3:4. 

To transgress or violate any known law of God is 
sin. This is clear and comprehensive. For instance, 
a man knows it is wrong to steal, therefore if he steals 
it is a sin. A man knows it is wrong to tell a false- 
hood, therefore if he speaks falsely he commits a sin. 
A man knows it is wrong to become intoxicated, and 
yet he does become so; he has violated a known law 
of right and wrong, and has therefore committed a 
sin. Who is the man of common sense that does not 
know it is wrong to lie, steal, swindle, defraud, curse, 
drink, get angry and cross ; to refuse to help a needy 
neighbor when he can, to talk foolishly, to tell unseem- 
ly tales, to backbite, slander, commit adultery, hold 
enmity against another, or to be proud and vain, etc. ? 

All these, and many more, the Bible says are wrong, 
and man knows them to be wrong ; therefore to do 
them is a sin. Sin brings man into bondage.- John 8 : 
34. Man is unable to liberate himself from sin, but 
God has sent a Deliverer. Praise his name ! "If the 
Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free 
indeed." John 8 : 36. Of this glorious deliverance we 
shall speak in the following chapter. 



56 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

CHAPTER IV. 
SALVATION. 



Salvation is the song that was to be sung by the 
redeemed in that day. "Behold now is the day." 
Our salvation has come. l ' Glory to God in the high- 
est, and on earth, peace, good will toward men. ' ' Sal- 
vation means deliverance. A prophecy concerning 
the Christ— our salvation— says: "He hath sent me to 
bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to 
the captives, and the opening of the prison to them 
that are bound." Isa. 61: 1. Christ our Savior came 
to deliver us from the prison-house of sin. 

In the preceding chapter we learned that sin left 
its crimson and scarlet stains upon the soul. Salva- 
tion cleanses the soul, removing the stains, mak- 
ing it as white as snow. Washing in "niter and much 
soap ' ' will not prove effectual, but the blood of Jesus 
will remove every stain. Sin reproaches, but the sal- 
vation of Jesus exalts. It lifts man up from the 
coarse, degrading, shameful life of sin, and exalts 
him to integrity, nobility, and purity. It removes 
the discontentments, uneasiness, condemnations and 
fears, and brings joy, peace and rest. Salvation 
breaks the strong fetters of sin and man rejoices in 
the beautiful light and liberty of this gospel day. 
The scepter is wrested from the cruel tyrant, sin, 
and righteousness in quietness and peace sways the 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 57 

scepter, and man rejoices. Sin is dethroned and 
Christ is crowned King of glory, and his triumphant 
reign is in the heart and life of man. Sin no longer 
has dominion. Christ hath made us free. 

O God, thy victories I extol 
With all the freedom of my soul. 

Salvation removes the awful sting of death and 
allows man to approach the last hour 

"Like one who wraps the drapery of his couch 
About him and lies down to pleasant dreams.' ' 

A PRESENT SALVATION. 

' ' Behold, now is the accepted time ; behold, now is 
the day of salvation." 2 Cor. 6: 2. The present dis- 
pensation, or gospel day, is the salvation age. It is 
the accepted time, or the time which God has ac- 
cepted for the salvation of man. That there is an- 
other dispensation of time beyond this present Chris- 
tian era in which man can be saved is Satan's false- 
hood to cause man to neglect salvation in this "ac- 
cepted time," beyond which he knows there is no es- 
cape. "How shall we escape if we neglect so great 
salvation?" "To-day if ye will hear his voice harden 
not your hearts." 

The apostle Paul says, "The grace of God that 
bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men. ' ' Titus 
2: 11. It "hath appeared." This is the time when 



58 

salvation has appeared unto all men, and all men 
must accept it in this time or lose it forever. In 
Titus 3:5, Eph. 2:5, Rom. 6:22, Jude 1, 1 Cor. 
1 : 2, and many other texts, salvation is spoken of. 
as having been received. Beyond controversy salva- 
tion is a present attainment. 

SALVATION BY GRACE AND NOT BY WORKS. 

Salvation from sin is by the grace of God. The 
word "grace" is defined by lexicographers as favor 
or mercy. Grace is a characteristic in the nature of 
God which offers mercy or favor though wholly un- 
merited by the recipient. Man is an offender against 
God. Through repentance he finds favor or grace 
in God's sight without any worthiness, excellence or 
meritoriousness in himself, but because of the merci- 
ful nature of the Lord. ' ' For by grace are ye saved 
through faith." Eph. 2 : 8. "By grace ye are saved." 
"ver. 5. "Who hath saved us, and called us with a 
holy calling, not according to our works, but accord- 
ing to his own purpose and grace, which was given 
us in Christ Jesus before the world began." 2 Tim. 
1:9. "Being justified freely by his grace." Rom. 
3:24. 

If man could attain to salvation by works, then 
he could plead his own merits; but we are taught that 
we can only plead the mercy of God. The apostle 
says that salvation is "not of works, lest any man 
should boast. ' ' Eph. 2:9. If it were by works man 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 59 

would have some cause for boasting ; but because it is 
wholly by grace, he has nothing of self in which to 
boast. Again he says, "Not by works of righteousness 
which we have done, but according to his mercy he 
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and re- 
newing of the Holy Ghost." Titus 3:5. 

SALVATION PERFECT. 

There is no weakness nor incompleteness in God's 
salvation. It saves to "the uttermost." Heb. 7:25. 
Salvation is so complete that man requires no ad- 
ditional cleansing or purifying to fit him for heaven. 

The salvation to which the apostle had attained 
made him ' ' ready to be offered. ' ' There is no cleans- 
ing beyond the gates of death, but in this life we are 
commanded to make ready. "Though your sins be 
as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. ' ' This text 
proves the efficacy of the blood or the completeness 
of salvation. 

Also the following texts magnify the preciousness 
and perfectness of redemption: "Then will I sprin- 
kle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean : from 
all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I 
cleanse you." Ezek. 36: 25." "Purge me with hyssop, 
and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter 
than snow." Psa. 51:7. "Ye are complete in him." 
Col. 2:10. "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son 
cleanseth us from all sin. ' ' 1 John 1:7. " If we con- 
fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us 



60 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 
1 John 1:9. It is sin that excludes us from heaven. 
It is salvation that saves us from sin, therefore we, 
when saved, are ready for that better land. 

FUTURE SALVATION. 

There are a few texts of Scripture which teach a 
salvation yet in the future. "And ye shall be hated 
of all men for my name 's sake ? but he that endureth 
to the end shall be saved. ' ' Mat. 10 : 22. \ \ Wherefore, 
my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my 
presence only, but now much more in my absence, 
work out your own salvation with fear and trem- 
bling. ' \ Phil. 2 : 12. These texts do not prove that 
there is no salvation only at the end of human life, 
else what could be the meaning of the many texts that 
speak of a present salvation? These two texts are 
very easily harmonized with those teaching a pres- 
ent experience of saving grace. 

As long as we are in this world it is possible for 
us to lose our salvation. Though we are now saved 
from sin by grace it is possible for us to be overtaken 
in some way and lose this experience. As long as we 
are here we must endure temptation. But if we en- 
dure unto the end when this mortality puts on immor- 
tality we pass beyond the possibility of losing salva- 
tion, hence, we are saved eternally. By resisting 
temptation, by praying and watching, we "work out 
our salvation." The time comes when there are no 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 61 

more temptations to resist, and we are safe and saved 
forever. 

I am ssfved now from all sin, but to keep this ex- 
perience I must watch, pray, work, resist and endure 
unto the end of my life, and then my salvation re- 
ceives the seal of eternity— saved in glory forever. 
Amen. 



WONDERS OF SALVATION. 

When man the wonders of ereation 
Beholds in deepest contemplation, 
Adores not the Almighty One, 
Must have indeed a heart of stone. 

Thou mortal! seest not the sun 

His daily course so proudly run? 

The moon in her nocturnal race, 

With sweet and tender, smiling face? 

The stars in pale but beauteous light, 

Twinkling, shining all the night? 

Stupendous ocean, wild and free, 

Bold image of eternity? 

The mountain cliff that checks the storm, 

And sheds its tears on valley farm? 

Poor soul twice dead indeed must be, 

And plucked up like uprooted tree, 

Or dulled by sensuality, 

Or lured by prodigality, 

Which does not bound with admiration, 

Or feel a warmth of true devotion 

Upon beholding this creation. 



62 



All nature smiling sweet and tender, 

Sun, moon and stars in wondrous splendor, 

And mortal man, a bit of sod, 

Eeveals the handiwork of God. 

Howe'er there is one work divine, 

Excels all others of my rhyme, 

The making of a world like this, 

Sent circling through so vast a space; 

Bright worlds above in glory streaming, 

Can not compare with this remaining. 

It claims all Heaven's admiration, 

It moves all Hell to disputation, 

Excels the glorious translation 

Of Enoch from his brief probation 

To higher plane of situation. 

All that's been done in whole creation 

Is naught, compared with man's salvation; 

Saved from the scarlet stains of sin, 

By power of God been born again; 

Then by the Holy Spirit's power 

Made pure in instantaneous hour. 

Oh, new and wonderful creation, 

Exceeds by far the old formation ; 

Sun, moon and stars and mountain's plane, 

The dark and deep blue ocean's main, 

Do not God's power so much display 

As when he takes man's sins away. 

Old things are gone, all things are new, 

All heaven by faith is now in view; 

And peace, sweet peace fills all the soul, 

And rest, though stormy billows* roll; 

Such is man's happy situation 

In this most wonderful salvation. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. . 63 

CHAPTER V. 

THE WAY FROM SIN TO PERFECT 
SALVATION. 



We have learned that sin entered this world and 
that all mankind have sinned. We have also learned 
that Jesus came to save man from his sins. Now the 
question may arise in the mind of some, what must I 
do to be saved? We hope in this chapter to quote 
such scriptures as will plainly teach you the way of 
salvation, or how to be fully saved, and also the 
scriptures describing each experience. 

REPENTANCE. 

The first step for the sinner is to repent. When on 
Pentecost men were pricked in their hearts and cried, 
"What shall we do?" Peter answered, "Repent." 
It is in accordance with God 's plan of redemption, 
also with nature and reason, that man should repent 
of his sins in order to receive pardon. Repentance 
was the theme on which John preached in the wilder- 
ness of Judea. It seems also to have been the first 
subject on which the Lord preached. Mark 1 : 15. It 
is the will of God that men should repent of their 
sins. "The Lord is not slack concerning his prom- 
ise, as some men count slackness ; but is long-suffering 
to usward, not willing that any should perish, but 
that all should come to repentance." 2 Pet. 3:9. 



64 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

It is here implied if man does not repent he shall per- 
ish. Jesus says, "Except ye repent, ye shall all like- 
wise perish, ? ' even as did those whose blood Pilate min- 
gled with their sacrifices, and those eighteen on whom 
the tower of Siloam fell. 

The first round in the ladder that reaches to eter- 
nal rest is repentance. If man never takes this step 
upon the way he can never reach that happy end. 
Because repentance includes so much, many men 
would gladly overstep this first round and begin their 
Christian life on some round higher up. This they 
can not do ; they must take this first step, or perish. 
And should they strive to climb up some other way 
they are dishonest, and the Savior calls them ' ' thieves 
and robbers." 

When the Pharisees and Sadducees came to the 
baptism of John he said unto them, "Bring forth 
therefore fruits meet for repentance." Mat. 3:8. 
There are fruits of repentance. The tree is known 
by its fruits. When man really repents of his sins, 
by his fruits or manner of life it will be made known. 
One of the fruits of repentance is sorrow. We might 
have said that repentance is sorrow, for "godly sor- 
row worketh repentance to salvation not to be re- 
pented of; but the sorrow of the world worketh 
death." 

A well known politician became an embezzler of the 
county fund, and was sentenced to a few years in the 
state 's prison. After having received his sentence 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 65 

he, in the sheriff's charge, passed out of the court- 
room, and with tears flowing from his eyes said, 
' ' My reputation is gone forever. ' ' That was a sorrow 
of the world and is not the way to salvation. Had 
the tears been flowing because he had sinned against 
God, who loved him, it would have been sorrow that 
' ' worketh repentance. ' ' 

The apostle says in 2 Cor. 7: 11, " Behold this self- 
same thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what 
carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of 
yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, 
what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what re- 
venge ! ' ' These are the fruits of repentance. The first 
here mentioned is " carefulness. ' ' The impenitent 
lives a reckless, careless life ; but a watchfulness comes 
into the heart of the penitent. He becomes mindful 
of his acts and carefully avoids the ways of sin. He 
turns away from sin. Oh, what carefulness it works 
in him. He complies with the commandment of God, 
"Let the wicked forsake his way." The marginal 
reading of Mat. 3: 8 is "bring forth fruit answerable 
to the amendment of life." The penitent carefully 
turns away from sin, and there is therefore an amend- 
ment of life. 

The second fruit of repentance mentioned in 2 
Cor. 7:11 is " clearing of yourselves. ' ' Men usually 
in their sinful life do many a wrong deed. When 
they have a godly sorrow they are very willing to do 
all they can to "clear away," or right the wrongs 



66 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

they have done. For instance, a man has in conver- 
sation with one neighbor spoken evil of another neigh- 
bor and injured his character. When he repents of 
his sins he will acknowledge to his neighbor that he 
spoke falsely, and will do what he can to repair the 
injury he has done. Debts he has long neglected he 
will pay when he repents of his sins, if it is possible. 
Wherein he has stolen or defrauded in any way he 
will restore as far as he is able. Zacchasus, when he 
came down from the sycamore tree, had a penitent 
heart, and said : ' \ The half of my goods I give to the 
poor ; and if. I have taken anything from any man by 
false accusation, I restore him fourfold. ' ' Luke 19 : 8. 
God does not command a fourfold restoration, but he 
does demand a restoring of an equal amount of what 
has been taken. If the penitent is unable to do this 
he can, no doubt, make confession, and promise to 
restore as soon as possible. 

It is very consistent and reasonable that God makes 
such demands of the penitent. No man can rightly 
object to such requirements. It establishes confidence 
in the hearts of unbelievers. They see a beauty in 
the Christian religion. It not only saves a man 
from doing wrong deeds in his future life, but calls 
upon him to repair as far as possible the wrongs and 
injuries he has done in his past life. In talking about 
two of the leading members of a certain religious de- 
nomination an unbeliever recently remarked: "If 
these men would pay me what they owe me I would 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 67 

have more confidence in Christianity. ' ' We saw then 
how consistent it was that God requires man to cor- 
rect his past life as far as he can. It forces con- 
fidence in the hearts of the unsaved and gains their 
attention. This is the "clearing of yourselves." 

The penitent gladly turns away or forsakes his 
evil ways. He abhors sin. Ah, what ' * vehement* de- 
sire " to be free ; what zeal ! He gladly does all he can 
to repair the injuries he has done. When he has de- 
frauded man of money he will confess it and restore 
it. When he has contracted debts and long neglected 
them he will confess his negligence and strive to pay 
them. Where he has misrepresented any one and 
thereby done him an injury he will make confession. 
And wherein man has wronged him and he has ha- 
tred in his heart against him, he will freely forgive. 
Jesus says, "If ye forgive not men their trespasses, 
neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." 
Mat. 6 : 15. 

W'hen the penitent has met all the requirements 
of the Scriptures, and confesses all to God, he has 
promised to forgive him. "If we confess our sins, 
he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. ' ' 1 John 
1:9. After the forsaking of sins and the restitution 
of wrongs and the forgiveness of injuries, and con- 
fession to God, there remains yet for man to 

BELIEVE. 

A prison-keeper inquired of Paul and Silas: "Sirs, 



68 • THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

what must I do to be saved?" And they said, "Be- 
lieve on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be 
saved. ' ' Acts 16 : 30, 31. * At this point Satan has 
succeeded in confusing many an honest soul. They 
have forsaken all to follow Jesus, but have not that 
perfect confidence that God forgives and accepts 
them. Satan will allow them to believe that God will 
save them in some future time, but struggles hard 
to prevent their believing that Jesus saves them now. 
The apostle says, "By grace are ye saved through 
faith." Eph. 2: 8. "Whosoever believeth that Jesus 
is the Christ is born of God." 1 John 5: 1. "But as 
many as received him, to them gave he power to be- 
come the sons of God, even to them that believe on his 
name." John 1:12. "Therefore being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God." Rom. 5:1. It is not 
by enthusiasm or excitement that we are saved, but 
"by grace through faith." 

Jesus on one occasion said, "Which of you intend- 
ing to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and 
counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish 
it." Luke 14:28. He uses this illustration to teach 
us the manner in which we should come to him. The 
cost is "a death to sin and the world." The prize 
is heaven and eternal glory. When you have care- 
fully counted the cost and deliberately decided in 
your soul to follow Jesus, then believe on his name, 
1 ' and thou shalt be saved, ' ' 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 69 

JUSTIFICATION. 

The term justification is used both in the Old Tes- 
tament and the New. There is a difference between 
the justification under the law and the justification by- 
grace. The one was obtained by the blood of animals 
and the other by the blood of Jesus. Since we are 
writing upon the glorious themes of the New Testa- 
ment we shall say but little of the justification by the 
sacrifices of animals. 

Justification implies a forgiveness of sins. The 
sense of guilt resulting from a transgression of God's 
law is removed. The justified therefore experience 
a safety, a peace and rest. Fears and uncertainties 
are banished, and the soul is filled with confidence 
and hope. "Therefore being justified by faith, we 
have peace with God. ' ' Rom. 5 : 1. Peace is the natural 
result of justification. It is sin that destroys the hap- 
piness of man. Before sin entered into this world 
man lived in a delightful Eden. His heart was open 
and frank before God, and he rejoiced in his presence. 
Sin brought a sense of shame and guilt, and he hid 
from the presence of God. All men admire the inno- 
cency of childhood. The peaceful countenance of an 
infant, its freedom from care, anxieties and unrest 
but remind us of the peacefulness of pardon. 

There was a justification by the law, but the law 
day has passed away. We have come to the gospel 
day in which no flesh shall be justified by the works 
of the law, but by "the faith of Jesus Christ. " Gal. 2 : 



70 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

16; 3:11. The Bible promises nothing more in jus- 
tification than a full pardon of all transgression and 
restoration to childhood innocency. ''And Jesus 
called a little child unto him and set him in the midst 
of them and said, Verily I say unto you, except ye 
be converted and become as little children, ye shall 
not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Mat. 18 : 2, 3. 
A justified man is as innocent and free from trans- 
gression as a little child. Is it not a just cause of sur- 
prise that men will teach the forgiveness of sins nec- 
essary to the experience of justification, and yet teach 
that the justified commit sin? "0 Consistency, thou 
art a jewel." 

It occurs to our mind that if men would use con- 
sideration, mingled with reason and judgment, they 
would see the inconsistency of the above teaching. 
Should a man who had used abusive language to you 
come and penitently ask your forgiveness, you would 
forgive, but that does not give him liberty to continue 
his abuse. When the penitent comes to God he will 
pardon, but this does not give him liberty to continue 
in sin. God created man with an intelligence, a rea- 
son and common sense. The ravages of sin have 
greatly impaired these qualities of the mind that be- 
lieves that justification necessitates a forgiveness of 
sins, yet the experience can be retained while commit- 
ting sin. A sound writer has said, ' ' Common sense is 
a quality of mind not so common as the words imply. 
Many claim it who have no right to its possession. It 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 71 

is a high standard of mental worth. The brain coin 
that bears its imprint has a par value wherever man is 
governed by pure reason." No true Christian be- 
lieves he can live in sin and be a Christian. Even those 
.who are governed by pure reason do not believe such. 
By the blood of Jesus "all that believe are justified 
from all things." Acts 13 : 39. 

REGENERATION. 

Justification by grace through faith in Jesus does 
not end with a forgiveness of past transgressions only, 
but includes the impartation of the divine, or eternal 
life to the soul. The blood of animals offered for sins 
in the Jewish economy was unable to impart this life 
to the offerer of the sacrifice. Jesus says, "I am 
come that ye might have life. " " Whosoever believeth 
in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life." 
"He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath 
not the Son of God hath not life. " ' ' God hath given 
to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son." 

The process by which man enters the natural life 
is termed a birth or generation. The process by 
which man enters the spiritual life is expressed by the 
words, "being born again," or "regeneration." 
With the words "being born again" we naturally 
associate life. When Nicodemus heard the words he 
thought the process of bringing into physical life was 
to be repeated. The Savior told him, "That which is 
born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of 



72 THE GOSPEL DAY; OE, 

the Spirit is spirit. ' ' John 3:6. In life there is ac- 
tivity and power. Not only are the transgressions for- 
given, but by regeneration life and power come into 
the soul, which gives man strength to resist sin. The 
Israelite only hoped for a forgiveness of his past sin 
through his offering. That beautiful hope of con- 
stant victory over sin was not his to enjoy. He knew 
the power of sin and the weakness of his offering; 
consequently he expected naught else but to offer his 
sacrifices over and over, day by day, and year by 
year continually. He who to-day comes to God plead- 
ing for forgiveness of his sins through the offering of 
the eternal Son and expects to still continue in sin 
enjoys no better hope than a Jew. He dishonors the 
great sacrifice of God's Son by counting it no more 
than the sacrifice of animals. 

In regeneration the holy, pure, divine life comes 
into the soul. Man passes from " death unto life." 
The dominion of sin has come to an end. Sin is 
dethroned and its kingdom destroyed. Regenerated 
man is crowned a king. The royal robes of white 
enshroud him. The scepter of righteousness he 
sways triumphantly and reigns a mighty conqueror, 
"a king and priest unto God." Praise and honor 
to his name! 

This new life within man's soul finds expression 
in a new life without. Since the new life within is 
holy and pure the new life without is holy and pure. 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 73 

' ' Make the inside of the cup and platter clean and the 
outside will be clean also." The apostle John tells us 
the manner of life that follows "being born again." 
"We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth 
not, but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, 
and that wicked one toucheth him not." 1 John 5 : 18. 
"Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin, 
for his seed remaineth in him: and he can not sin, 
because he is born of God." 1 John 3: 9. This text 
does not teach the impossibility of committing sin 
as some have supposed, but the impossibility of com- 
mitting sin and retaining the spiritual birth. In 
1 John 2 : 29 we are clearly taught that righteousness 
of life succeeds the regeneration of man. Sin belongs 
only to Satan and sinners. It is not found in the 
life of God, nor of the angels, nor of Christ, nor of 
the Christians. 

ADOPTION. 

The term "adoption" is a few times used in the 
New Testament. It is that part of justification which 
places us in the family of God. In the apostolic 
days the Romans were accustomed to adopting the 
children of some other family into their own. The 
law on these occasions demanded a full surrender of 
the child with all his possessions to his new governor 
or father. The father received the child as an heir 
to all his possessions, equal with his own children. 

So we in justification give ourselves to God with 



74 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

all our talents and possessions, and he receives us 
into his family, and we become joint-heirs with his 
Son. This is true, and very precious because it is true. 
The apostle in speaking of adoption says, "For ye 
have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear ; 
but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby 
we cry, Abba, Father. ' ' Rom. 8 : 15. We are here 
taught that it is in adoption that we look upon God 
as our Father. We are taught the same in Gal. 4 : 5, 
6. By the Spirit of adoption we look unto God as 
our Father and consider ourselves his own children. 
As members in the family of God we yield ourselves 
unto his service and ' ' our members as instruments of 
righteousness unto him. ' ' This prohibits sin. To live 
impure, or to commit more or less sin, and have the 
yoke of Christ upon us, or to be a joint-heir with him 
is indeed very disparaging. 

CONVERSION. 

Since the word conversion is used in connection 
with justification we will give it only brief notice. 
Jesus said, "Except ye be converted and become as 
little children," etc. Peter said, "Repent and be 
converted." Justification properly implies a pardon 
or forgiveness of our transgressions or sins. Regen- 
eration implies a bringing into the spiritual life. 
Adoption implies the reception of the new-born child 
into the family of God. Conversion, the turning 
about, or a change in life. Any one of these terms 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 75 

include all the others. These are all accomplished 
in what is known as the first work of grace, and is 
most frequently and properly termed justification. 

SANCTIPICATION. 

Sanctification is one among the clear and positive 
doctrines of the New Testament. Justification, re- 
generation, adoption, and conversion are terms used 
to signify the same work of grace, or the same ex- 
perience in the Christian life. Sanctification has ref- 
erence to a higher work of grace, or higher life. It 
is an experience obtained subsequent to justifica- 
tion. The Savior in praying to the Father for his 
disciples said: "Sanctify them through thy truth: 
thy word is truth. ' ' John 17 : 17. Before making 
this petition he told the Father of their separation 
from the world and of their persecution by the world, 
which are certain evidences of justification. 

Sanctification is defined thus in Webster's Una- 
bridged Dictionary: 

1. Sanctification is the act of God's grace by which 
the affections of men are purified or alienated from 
sin and the world and exalted to a supreme love of 
God; also the state of being thus purified or sancti- 
fied. 2. Sanctifier. One who sanctifies or makes 
holy, specially the Holy Ghost. 3. Sanctify. To set 
apart to a holy or religious use; to make holy or 
free from sin; to cleanse from moral corruption or 
pollution; to make holy. 



76 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Sanctification is the destruction of the body of sin 
or depraved nature. The work of sanctification, or 
the sanctifying process, is expressed as a cleansing or 
purging or refining. It is the restoration of the soul 
to its original purity or holiness by the removing of 
the depraved nature incurred by the transgression in 
Eden. We will conclude this subject by a Bible les- 
son. 

1. Sanctification is the will of God. " For this is 
the will of God, even your sanctification. ' ' 1 Thes. 
4:3. 

2. Sanctification is effected by God. "And the 
very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray 
God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved 
blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ' ' 
1 Thes. 5:23. "Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, 
and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by 
God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and 
called." Jude 1. 

3. Sanctification is effected by the Lord Jesus. 
"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanc- 
tified are all of one: for which cause he is not a- 
shamed to call them brethren. ' ' Heb. 2 : 11. 

4. Sanctification is effected by the Holy Spirit. 
"And such were some of you: but ye are washed, 
but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the 
name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our 
God." 1 Cor. 6:11. 

5. Sanctification is through the Word of God. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 77 

" Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is 
truth." John 17:17. 

6. Sanctification is through the atonement of 
Christ. " Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sancti- 
fy the people with his own blood, suffered without 
the gate." Heb. 13:12. 

7. Sanctification is perfect salvation. "But we are 
bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren 
beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the be- 
ginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification 
of the Spirit and belief of the truth." 2 Thes. 2 : 13. 

8. Sanctification as a cleansing removes spots, 
wrinkles, and blemishes from the church. ' * Husbands, 
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, 
and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and 
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 
that he might present it to himself a glorious church, 
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but 
that it should be holy and without blemish. ' ' Eph. 5 : 
25-27. 

9. Sanctification prepares men for the service of 
God. "But in a great house there are not only ves- 
sels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of 
earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor. If 
a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall 
be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the 
Master's use, and prepared unto every good work." 
2 Tim. 2 : 20, 21. 

Because this text is very generally misunderstood 



78 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

we feel like giving an explanation of it. It was long 
misunderstood by us. Only very recently the Holy 
Spirit interpreted it to our heart. One evening we 
asked God to give us an understanding of this diffi- 
cult passage of Scripture, and the next morning we 
fully understood it. It is very simple. In a great 
house there are vessels of gold and silver, wood and 
earth, some to honor and some to dishonor. This 
house represents man in his natural state. There are 
some good traits of character in most every unregen- 
erated man, and also some evil traits. He has some 
honorable dispositions and some dishonorable. Full 
salvation, which includes both justification and sanc- 
tification, will save and purge him from every dishon- 
orable inclination and evil trait of character, and fit 
him for the Master's use. He will be used only to the 
glory of God. All his fruits will be holy unto the 
Lord. 

10. Sanctification prepares man for heaven. We 
have quoted from 1 Cor. 6 : 11. By reading the two 
preceding verses we learn that sanctification is nec- 
essary to the entrance of heaven. 

HOLINESS. 

There is a sweet melody in the word ''holiness." 
We associate it with everything that is heavenly. It 
is frequently used synonymously with sanctification, 
yet not always with all the forms of the word sanc- 
tification. On the whole there is a slight difference 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 79 

in the meaning of the two terms. Holiness is the 
consummation of the work of sanctification. By 
transposing a few words in Heb. 12 : 14 we would have 
it read, ' ' Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. ' ' 
Holiness is here a noun objective to the preposition 
without. In some translations this sentence would 
read, "Without sanctification no man shall see the 
Lord." Sanctification is here a noun, the object of 
the preposition without. As nouns these words are 
used interchangeably. 

In Jude, first verse, we have this sentence, ' ' To them 
that are sanctified by God the Father." The word 
"sanctified" is here used as a predicate adjective, and 
describes the people addressed. It would not alter 
the meaning of the text were we to translate it thus : 
"To them that are made holy by God the Father." 
The word holy is here used as a predicate adjective, 
and describes the people addressed. In the sentence, 
"Sanctify them through thy truth" (John 17:17), 
the word "sanctify" is a verb, denoting action, of 
which we have no form of the word holiness. The 
word holiness can not be used as a verb. The word 
sanctification frequently expresses action; the word 
holiness never. They are synonymous when they ex- 
press the pure state of man. Sanctification is the 
act that brings man into a holy state, which is also 
the sanctified state. Sanctification may be applied to 
the holy state, and also to the action that brings us 
into that state. Since the word sanctification con- 



80 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

tains action it is positive proof there is a cleansing in 
it. 

Now we desire by a few Scriptural texts and a few 
suggestions to deepen the reader's conception of the 
state of holiness. Everything in the realm of Chris- 
tianity, or the kingdom of God, from heaven to earth 
is holy. Let us here give you a brief Bible lesson, 
kindly asking you to carefully read each text. 

1. God is holy. ' ' In the year that king Uzziah died 
I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and 
lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it 
stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with 
twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered 
his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried 
unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord 
of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory." Isa. 
6 : 1-3. 

If the reader here obtains a just conception of the 
holy character of God it will give him an understand- 
ing of the true nature of Christianity and the manner 
of life of a Christian. A gentleman once asked me 
if it was wrong or unbecoming to a Christian to at- 
tend the present day street carnivals. We replied in 
about these words : ' ' If you gain a true conception of 
the holiness of the Almighty you will not need to 
ask me such a question.' ' 

2. Heaven is holy. "Now know I that the Lord 
saveth his anointed; he will hear him from his holy 
heaven with the saving strength of his right hand," 
Psa. 20; 6, 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 81 

3. Christ is holy. ' ' For such an high priest became 
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from 
sinners." Heb. 7:26. 

4. The angels are holy. "When the Son of man 
shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with 
him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory." 
Mat. 25:31. 

5. God 's commandments are holy . "Wherefore the 
law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and 
good." Rom. 7:12. 

6. God's arm is holy. "The Lord hath made bare 
his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all 
the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our 
God." Isa. 52:10. 

7. God's mountains are holy. "And it shall come 
to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be 
blown, and they shall come which were ready to per- 
ish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the 
land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the 
holy mount at Jerusalem." Isa. 27:13. 

8. God's hill is holy. "Lord, who shall abide in thy 
tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" Psa. 
15:1. 

9. God 's name is holy. ' i My mouth shall speak the 
praise of the Lord ; and let all flesh bless his holy 
name forever and ever." Psa. 145:21. 

10. God's works are holy. "The Lord is righteous 
in all his ways, and holy in all his works." Psa. 
145 : 17. 



82 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

11. God's people are holy. "For thou art a holy 
people unto the Lord thy God : the Lord thy God hath 
chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above 
all people that are upon the face of the earth. ' ' Deut. 
7:6. Read Eph. 1:4; Col. 1:22; 1 Pet. 1:15; 2 
Pet. 3 : 11. 

12. God's people are his holy temple. "If any man 
defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for 
the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 
1 Cor. 3 : 17. 

13. God's church is a holy church. "Husbands, 
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, 
and gave himself for it; that he might sanctify and 
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; that 
he might present it to himself a glorious church, not 
having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that 
it should be holy and without blemish." Eph. 5 : 25-27. 

14. The way to heaven is a holy way. "And an 
highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be 
called the way of holiness; . . . the redeemed shall 
walk there." Isa. 35:8, 9. 

Let us repeat: God is holy; heaven is holy; the 
angels are holy; Christ is holy; the Spirit is holy; 
God's Word is holy; the way to heaven is holy. 
Reader, we want you to picture before you a holy 
heaven and the holy way that leads to heaven. Read 
this text: "Follow peace with all men, and holiness 
without which no man shall see the Lord." Heb. 
12 : 14. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 83 

Looking into the Word of the Lord we find that 
man was chosen to holiness. Eph. 1 : 4. That God 
calls him to holiness. 1 Thes. 4 : 7. That God designed 
that man should serve him in holiness. Luke 1 : 75. 
That God chastens man in order that he might be par- 
taker ot his holiness. Heb. 12 : 10. That God purposes 
that man shall be saved from his sin and bear fruit 
unto holiness. Rom. 6 : 22. That God commands him to 
be holy in all manner of conduct. 2 Pet. 3 : 11. God 
commands him to be holy because he is holy. 1 Pet. 
1: 15, 16. Looking unto God's great and holy plan in 
redeeming man, and the holiness of heaven, and God 
sitting on his holy throne, and Christ the Holy One 
at his right hand, and the holy angels shouting praises, 
how can you entertain a hope of ever entering 
that glorious land without holiness 1 ? 

PERFECTION. 

Many have stumbled at the command to be perfect. 
That finite man may be perfect in this sinful world 
sounds ridiculous to many unregenerated hearts. 
This is because they do not understand God nor his 
power to deliver man from sin. With the many ex- 
hortations and commands to perfection contained in 
the Holy Scriptures is it not singular that man will 
yet say, ' ' We can not be perfect in this life ' ' ? Many 
people who oppose the doctrine of Christian per- 
fection do not at all understand it. They consider it 
to be an end of all growth, consequently they do not 



84 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

understand its nature. There is a perfection of 
celestial beings not to be experienced by mortal man; 
but there is a perfection unmistakably taught in the 
Scriptures which Christians are privileged to expe- 
rience and enjoy in this life. 

Christian perfection relates to right desires and 
actions and purity of affections. Paul in closing his 
epistle to the church at Corinth says : ' ' Finally, breth- 
ren, farewell. Be perfect, "be of good comfort, be 
of one mind, live in peace; and the God of love and 
peace shall be with you." Surely every one must 
concede that there is a perfection to which Christians 
can attain. When Christians are exhorted to be per- 
fect is it not folly to say, ' ' They can not be perfect ' ' ? 
Could we not with equal propriety say, "We can not 
be of good comfort"? "We can not live in peace"? 
"The God of love and peace will not be with us"? etc. 
The apostle in writing to the Philippian brethren 
uses language which clearly implies that some of them 
had attained to the experience of perfection. He 
says, "Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus 
minded." Phil. 3: 15, Some of them certainly were 
perfect. In verse twelve he does speak of a perfection 
to which he had not attained. This he expected to at- 
tain in the glory world. Christian perfection is a 
life that accords with the Holy Scriptures. Whoso- 
ever receives the correction, and reproving and the 
instructions in righteousness contained in the Scrip- 
ture will become a perfect Christian. 2 Tim. 3 : 16. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 85 

Whosoever lives as the Word of God says that Chris- 
tians should live, the same is a perfect man. Paul 
prays that God would make the Hebrews perfect. 
Heb. 13 : 20, 21. Peter petitions the God of all grace, 
who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ 
Jesus, after we have suffered a while to make us per- 
fect, stablish, strengthen, settle us. 1 Pet. 5 : 10. 

Jesus was made perfect through suffering. God 
chastens us that we might be partakers of his holi- 
ness. The gold and silver to be made pure and 
perfect must be refined in the crucible. We to reflect 
the beauty and glory of God must, too, pass through 
the refiner's fire. The apostle Paul in writing his 
first epistle to the church at Corinth says: "Howbeit 
we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. ' ' 2:6. 
Certainly there were perfect Christians in the church 
at that place. To the Ephesian brethren he says that 
God "gave some, apostles; and some prophets; and 
some evangelists ; and some, pastors and teachers ; for 
the perfecting of the saints." 4: 11, 12. Now we at 
once know that this work of instruction and perfec- 
tion is to be accomplished in this life. 

He further says, "Till we all come in the unity 
of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, 
unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature 
of the fulness of Christ." ver. 13. By stature is 
meant the height of any one. Christ is the stature or 
height of perfection, and we are to measure up to it. 
This accords with what the Savior himself said: 



86 THE GOSPEL, DAY; OR, 

' ' The disciple is not above his master : but every one 
that is perfect shall be as his master. ' ' Luke 6 : 40. 
To the church at Colosse the apostle says: "Whom 
[ Christ] we preach, warning every man, and teaching 
every man in all wisdom ; that we may present every 
man perfect in Christ Jesus." Col. 1: 28. Again he 
says, ' ' Epaphras who is one of you, a servant of 
Christ, saluteth you, always laboring fervently for 
you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and com- 
plete in all the will of God." 4: 12. 

WHAT IS CHRISTIAN PERFECTION? 

As we have before said, There is a perfection only 
attainable after the resurrection, but there is a per- 
fection attainable in this life, and it is the nature of 
this perfection that we wish to understand. It is 
holiness of nature, right desires and actions and purity 
of affections toward God and man. It implies an en- 
tire consecration to God. A young man came to Je- 
sus inquiring what he should do to inherit eternal 
life. Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, 
go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and 
thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and 
follow me." Mat. 19:21. This teaches a resigna- 
tion of all to God, which is necessary that we might 
be refined and polished to such a brilliancy that will 
make us a light in the world. Christians are termed 
jewels in the Scriptures. "And they shall be mine, 
saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up 
my jewels.' ' I- ! | 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 87 

Oh, to be a brilliant jewel, 

Sparkling, shining for the Lord, 

Polished by the great Eefiner, 

Washed and winnowed through the blood. 

Christian perfection includes soundness and in- 
offensiveness of speech. "If any man offend not in 
word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to 
bridle the whole body. ' ' Jas. 3 : 2. We consider this 
a very strong text, and an abundance of grace is re- 
quired to enable us to perfectly fulfil it. 

GOD'S PERFECTION IS THE STANDARD OP CHRISTIAN 
PERFECTION. 

"Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father 
which is in heaven is perfect. ' ' Mat. 5 : 48. The per- 
fection which God designs that Christians shall have 
equal with his own relates to the purity of his nature 
and affection. In the immediate preceding verses the 
Savior commands Christians to love their enemies, 
bless them that curse them, do good to them that 
hate them, and pray for them which despitefully use 
them and persecute them. As Christians this is our 
nature. We will not "render evil for evil." We will 
befriend our persecutors, feed our enemy when he 
hungers, and give him drink when he thirsts. In 
verse forty-five the Savior tells us of the Father's be- 
havior toward his enemies: "He maketh his sun to 
rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain 
on the just and on the unjust." Here we behold 



88 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

the merciful nature of God and how he does good 
for evil. If- we love only those who love us and do 
good only to those who do good to us (ver. 46, 47) we 
are not in the nature of God; we are no more than 
publicans and sinners. But if we love our enemies 
and do good to those who hate us, we are reflecting 
the character of God. In this respect he would have 
us to be "perfect, even as he is perfect." beloved, 
see that you entertain right feelings toward all men. 
Do good to your enemies; love them, pray for them, 
and convince them that you are more than the or- 
dinary sinful man, and God will bless you now and 
eternally. 

In the parable of the sower and its explanation 
the Savior said the seed which fell among thorns are 
they which hear the word and go forth and are choked 
by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and 
bring no fruit to perfection. Luke 8 : 14. Christian 
fruit is loving our enemies, doing them good, doing 
good unto all men, speaking evil of none, manifest- 
ing love, faith, meekness, gentleness, joy, etc. This 
is Christian fruit, and may God help every reader 
to bring it forth to the highest degree of perfection. 

PURITY. 

• ''Keep thyself pure." 1 Tim. 5: 22. In such com- 
mands there is something animating and ennobling. 
To enable us to have some conception of purity we 
have only to think of heaven and of the angels. This 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 89 

world has been betimes visited by celestial beings. 
They are spoken of as being clothed in white and 
having countenances shining as the light. -Mat. 28 : 
3 ; Mark 16:5; John 20 : 12 ; Acts 1 : 9, 10. White is 
an emblem of purity. These transient visitors from 
above robed in white raiment represent the purity of 
heaven. Purity is not ascribed alone to heavenly 
beings, but it is a characteristic of the redeemed up- 
on the earth. Purity is effected through the atoning 
blood. The sweet singer David said': "Purge me with 
hyssop, and I shall be clean : wash me, and I shall 
be whiter than snow." 

The beloved John in a vision saw "a pure river of 
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the 
throne of God and the Lamb. ' ' Rev. 22 : 1. This ' * riv- 
er of water of life" is the cleansing stream of God's 
salvation. "Whosoever will, let him take the water 
of life freely. ' ' Rev. 22 : 17. This means salvation. 
"I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain 
of the water of life freely." Rev. 21: 6. This is the 
cleansing fountain of salvation. This stream is pure. 
It flows from the throne of God. It is as pure as its 
source. Whosoever enters this crystal stream will 
be made as pure as its waters. 

Though the soul be stained with scarlet stains, 

It shall be white as snow; 
Though the soul be stained with crimson stains, 

It shall be white as wool. 



90 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

The prophet Isaiah in speaking of the cleansing 
fountain of salvation in that day, said: "And I will 
turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy 
dross, and take away all thy tin." Isa. 1:25. The 
cleansing stream will remove all the dross and leave 
the soul pure. These are garments of salvation. This 
is not literal, but the cleansing away of sin and the 
infusion of righteousness is represented by the taking 
away of filthy rags and being clothed in the garments 
of salvation. The Lamb 's wife, which is his church— 
which is his people— was "arrayed in fine linen, clean 
and white : for the fine linen is the righteousness of 
saints." Rev. 19:8. 

We will now give a Bible lesson describing the 
purity of man through the blood of Jesus. 

A pure soul. "Seeing ye have purified your souls 
in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto un- 
feigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one 
another with a pure heart fervently." 1 Pet. 1:22. 

A pure heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart: for 
they shall see God." Mat. 5:8. 

A pure mind. "This second epistle, beloved, I now 
write unto you, in both which I stir up your pure 
minds by way of remembrance. " 2 Pet. 3 : 1. 

A pure conscience. "I thank God whom I serve 
from my forefathers with pure conscience." 2 Tim. 
1:3. 

A pure language. ' ' For then will I turn to the peo- 
ple a pure language, that they may all call upon the 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 91 

name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent/ ' 
Zeph. 3 : 9. 

Pure thoughts. "Finally, brethren, whatsoever 
things are true, whatsoever things are honest, what- 
soever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, 
whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are 
of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there 
be any praise, think on these things." Phil. 4: 8. 

A pure religion. "Pure religion and undented be- 
fore God and the Father is this, To visit the father- 
less and widows in their affliction, and to keep him- 
self unspotted from the world. ' ' Jas. 1 : 27. 

When man is made thus pure in all the faculties of 
his being he is said to be pure even as Christ is 
pure ( 1 John 3:3), and is then a perfect example of 
purity to the world. 1 Tim. 4 : 12. 

The question is asked, "Who shall ascend into the 
hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in his holy place?" 
Psa. 24 : 3. The answer is, "He that hath clean hands 
and a pure heart." Purity is a requisite for heaven. 
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see 
God." In this language there is indubitably implied 
the impossibility of seeing God without purity of 
heart. God is pure, and heaven is a pure place, and 
without purity of soul and heart and life you can 
never enter heaven nor see God. 

RIGHTEOUSNESS. 

This is one of the terms used in the Scriptures 
describing the character of God and his people. "The 



92 THE GOSPEL DAY; 0&, 

Lord is righteous," and the source of all righteous- 
ness. Man can not possess righteousness independent 
of God. It is beautiful to contemplate the righteous 
character of the Almighty as revealed in the holy 
Scriptures. It enables us to better understand our 
own nature when we are "filled with all the fulness 
of God." The Savior in his prayer addresses God 
as "righteous Father." John 17:25. The Revela- 
tor in his vision heard an angel proclaiming, "Thou 
art righteous, Lord. ' ' Rev. 16 : 5. The Psalmist 
in exalting the righteousness of the Lord said: "Thy 
righteousness also, God, is very high. ' ' Psa. 71 : 19. 
It is far above the ways and life of natural man: 
* ' For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are 
my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts 
than 3'our thoughts." Isa. 55: 9. All of God's ways 
are in righteousness: "The Lord is righteous in all 
his ways." Psa. 145:17. God's acts are done in 
righteousness : ' ' Now therefore stand still, that I may 
reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous 
acts of the Lord which he did to you and your 
fathers. ' ' 

Oh, the sublimity of the righteous character of 
God ! How lofty and high. How far above the ways 
and acts of natural man. Man in his natural state 
does not possess any of the righteous principles of 
God: "There is none righteous, no not one." But 
God in the incarnation of his Son is both God and 
man, and through this means the righteousness of God 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 93 

is delegated unto man. In Jesus Christ we have the 
combining of man and God— the righteousness of 
God and humanity of man. Through the death of 
the man Christ Jesus and his resurrection the way 
was prepared for mankind to receive the righteous- 
ness of God. "For he hath made him to be sin for 
us, who knew no sin: that we might be made the 
righteousness of God in him." 2 Cor. 5:21. Jesus 
in his innocency and righteousness bore the sins of 
the guilty, so that in him we can experience a cleans- 
ing -'from all unrighteousness" and receive instead 
"the righteousness of God." 

Jesus likens himself and his people to a vine and 
its branches. He says, "I am the vine, ye are the 
branches." It is through the vine that the branches 
receive substance and strength and life from the soil. 
It is through Jesus that we receive righteousness, 
grace, and strength from God. It is only in Jesus' 
name that we receive anything from the Father 
The branches bear the fruit. Receiving the righteous- 
ness of God through Jesus we bear the fruit of right- 
eousness. The more of this fruit we bear the more we 
show forth the praise of God. When there is a 
large yield of grain we conclude it was sown in good 
soil, and thus the soil gets the praise. We "being 
filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by 
Jesus Christ" do show forth "the glory and praise 
of God. ' ' Phil. 1:11. " Herein is my Father glorified, 
that ye bear much fruit. ' ' John 15 : 8. Though the 



94 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

grain be planted in good soil, cultivation is necessary 
to a bountiful harvest. Though we be planted in 
Christ cultivation is necessary to the production of 
rich fruit. "And every branch that beareth fruit, 
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.' ' 
John 15: 2. Sin— all sin must be purged or cleansed 
away in order to bear fruits of righteousness. 

1 ' A tree is known by its fruits. ' ' Should there be a 
tree bearing promiscuously throughout apples, pears, 
peaches, plums, grapes, etc., who could tell what kind 
of a tree it was ? Should it bear apples alone we at 
once know the kind of tree. All sin is therefore 
purged away from the heart of a Christian that he 
may be "filled with the fruits of righteousness," and 
be known as a light in the world. Sin and right- 
eousness do not grow upon the same tree. How clear- 
ly and plainly this is taught in the sixth chapter of 
Romans. Except they be blinded by prejudice and 
false teaching aH the world must understand this. 
Verse eighteen says, ' ' Being then made free from sin, 
ye became the servants of righteousness." There are 
two things plainly taught in this text that we wish 
to call your attention to. First, to become a servant 
of righteousness necessitates a freedom from sin. 
"Ye can not serve two masters." Second, this ex- 
perience of being made free from sin and becoming 
servants of righteousness the Roman brethren had 
received some time in the past. ."Ye became the 
servants of righteousness." ver. 20. "For when 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 95 

[some time in their past life] ye were the servants 
of sin ye were free from righteousness. ' ' 

In the face of these two texts how can man be 
so daring and proud and self-conceited as to teach 
the impossibility of Christians living a pure and 
sinless life in this world 1 Surely, there is no fear of 
God before their eyes. Verse eighteen declares that 
to become servants of righteousness necessitates free- 
dom from sin; and verse twenty declares that to be 
a "servant of sin" necessitates freedom from right- 
eousness. "What fruit had ye then in those things 
whereof ye are now ashamed?" ver. 21. Of the 
things of sin they once engaged in they are now 
ashamed. "What fruit had they then?" Ans.— "No 
fruit of righteousness." "But now being made free 
from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your 
fruit unto holiness." ver. 22. Praise God! You 
must be made free from sin to be capable of bear- 
ing fruit unto holiness or righteousness. The fruit 
of the righteous is to the praise and glory of God. 
The Lord makes use of the fruit of the righteous to 
induce sinners to seek him. In this way the fruit 
of the righteous is a tree of life. How blessed and 
noble to be a tree planted by the river of waters 
richly laden with righteous fruit. Amen. 

REDEMPTION. 

The authors of the dictionaries define the word 
redemption as "the act of deliverance, release, re- 



96 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

purchase," etc. The redemption through Christ is 
the deliverance or repurchase of man. Man in his 
original, primeval state enjoyed unity and an affini- 
ty with God. Because of transgression on the part 
of man this natural agreement between God and man 
was destroyed. All creation— herb, and tree, beast 
and fowl, and man— was pronounced very good by 
the Creator as he beheld it in review after creation. 
Gen. 1:29-31. 

But because of Eden's sin the very nature of all 
things became changed. The ground became cursed, 
and thorns and thistles sprang up. Gen. 3:17, 18. 
The nature of the beast creation, no doubt, became 
affected by man's transgression. Gen. 6:7, 11-13. 
The transgression in Eden was the entrance of sin 
into this world. Rom. 5 : 12. Previous to this, all in 
the world was sinless harmony, and the earth itself 
uncursed by thorns and thistles. By the entrance 
of sin man's nature became changed, and since the 
nature of man became depraved there has not been 
a single individual born of the flesh but has possessed 
a depraved nature, except the child conceived by 
the Holy Spirit. The Psalmist says: "Behold, I was 
shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother con- 
ceive me." Psa. 51:5. 

This same is true of every child. The nature of 
the child in its formation in the womb is depraved. 
The moral condition of the parents may modify to 
an extent, but never wholly change that nature. The 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 97 

child does not inherit a depraved nature from its 
parents. It is not because the parents are depraved 
that the child is conceived in sin, but because nature 
is depraved. It required a supernatural conception 
to beget a pure child, everything in nature being de- 
praved. The child does not inherit either physical 
or moral image directly from its parents. It is 
true, the child generally bears a marked resemblance 
to the parent, both physically and morally, but on 
the whole it is born in the image of Adam, morally 
and physically. It is generally the case that if a 
parent have three arms, or possess but one, his off- 
spring will have two, receiving its physical image 
from the first created man. Should the parents be 
holy, the child will possess a carnal nature, be- 
cause it is the nature of all the race. 

How holy parents beget children depraved in na- 
ture is a puzzling problem to some minds, especially 
to those who are busying themselves about the in- 
tricate matters of God. This need be no more puz- 
zling than a deformed parent begetting perfectly 
formed children. Nature, in embryo, begins its work 
of forming both the physical and moral image of 
the child, which is after the similitude of the original 
parents and not the immediate ones. While justifica- 
tion, which is the forgiveness of actual transgression, 
the inevitable result of a depraved nature, is a won- 
derful and glorious achievement of grace, it is but 
a very small part of the redemption of Christ. The 
7 



98 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

supernatural overthrow of the depraved nature by 
the power of the Holy Spirit is the principal and 
real redemptive work. The pardon of committed 
sins is the clearing away of the rubbish, or preparation 
work, for the Third Person in the Holy Trinity to 
effect a revolution in the nature of man. Halleluiah 
to God! This change in nature is more wonderful 
than the revolting of nature at the command of 
Joshua. Man now, instead of being depraved in na- 
ture, is restored to his original holy nature. 

This destruction of the carnal nature and the res- 
toration of the original nature is accomplished by the 
Holy Spirit at the moment of his reception as an in- 
dwelling Comforter. Peter teaches this truth when 
he says: "God, which knoweth the hearts [or na- 
ture], bare them witness, giving them the Holy 
Ghost, even as he did unto us [at Pentecost] ; and put 
no difference between us and them [Gentiles], puri- 
fying their hearts by faith. ' ' Acts 15 : 8, 9. Purify- 
ing the heart is the purification of man's affections, 
or nature. This is accomplished at the time of the 
giving of the Holy Ghost as declared in the last 
text ; and this purifying of the hearts of the Gentiles 
at the giving of the Holy Ghost, is just what was 
done for the apostles at Pentecost. This is a plain, 
undeniable fact taught in this text. To turn to 
philosophizing upon how we can be conceived with a 
carnal nature, or how we can be converted and yet be 
depraved in nature is to soon become spoiled through 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. VX 

vain deceit after the rudiments of the world and 
not after Christ. Col. 2:8. In the very nature 
of things, and according to the Word of God, pardon 
of sins necessarily precedes the destruction of the 
carnal, depraved nature by the Holy Spirit. In the 
fall of man there was the act of transgression and 
also a change in man's moral image. In his restora- 
tion there must be a pardon of transgression and 
subsequently a change in nature. 

It is a law of God that the redemption of man 
be accomplished through faith, by his grace. Our 
faith can not reach beyond our knowledge. By 
knowledge we mean a real soul-consciousness or con- 
viction and not an intellectual knowledge. At this 
point many a dear soul has erred from the truth. 
They have endeavored to bring their faith up to 
their intellectual knowledge, which ends in presump- 
tion. True Bible faith is grounded in the soul. It re- 
sults from a soul-knowledge, or conviction. To accept 
pardon of sins or healing of the body with only an 
intellectual knowledge of these blessings and not a 
real heart-conviction is mere presumption, and ends 
in failure and disgrace. To follow the comprehen- 
sions of the intellect, and not the enlightenment of 
the Holy Spirit upon the soul, concerning the mys- 
teries of God's salvation is to be led into error, be- 
cause the intellect can not fathom the things of God. 
We do now emphatically say, according to God's es- 
tablished law, that no unregenerated heart can have 

? LofC. 



100 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

a comprehension or conviction of a corrupt moral 
nature and its purification. Why? Because trans- 
gression stands between it and purity. The awakened 
guilty soul knows nothing but its guilt, and for for- 
giveness only does it plead. After being pardoned, the 
soul gains a knowledge of carnality, and it is 
then convicted for the second cleansing. 

Those who believe that purity of heart is attained 
in pardon take as a basis of such belief the language 
of Paul in 2 Cor. 5 : 17 ; Rom. 8:1-7; and similar 
texts. Now the apostle often speaks of full salva- 
tion, or complete redemption of the soul, in a gen- 
eral way. He says that ' ' salvation is by the grace of 
God through faith." By this he does not mean jus- 
tification only, but sanctification as well. He has 
not specified the two works, but has spoken of full 
salvation in a general way of being by grace through 
faith. Thus Eph. 2 : 8-10 includes full salvation. 
In 2 Cor. 5 : 17 he again speaks of full salvation in 
a general way. It is true we are in Christ when 
converted, but we are none the less in him when 
sanctified. To say that Paul is referring to the justi- 
fied only in this text is an error. By the two pre- 
ceding verses we have reason to believe he is re- 
ferring to those who are wholly sanctified. This 
then is no proof text that carnality is destroyed in 
justification, because you can not prove that he is 
referring to those who are only justified. In con- 
clusion we would say that Christ came to redeem 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 101 

man only. Beast and bird have no part in the re- 
demption. They shall perish. The earth is not re- 
deemable, bnt being under the curse— spotted by sin 
— it shall be destroyed. 



CHAPTER VI. 
FRUITS AND THE TWO WORKS. 



FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT. 
Men are likened unto trees in some Scriptural texts. 
The righteous are termed good trees, and the wicked 
evil trees. Now the "tree is known by its fruit.' ' 
The fruits of the flesh are borne upon the evil tree, 
while the fruits of the Spirit are borne upon the good 
tree. The fruits of the Spirit are enumerated in 
Gal. 5:22, 23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 
joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 
meekness, temperance : against such there is no law. ' ' 
We shall describe these fruits separately by the word 
of truth, as briefly as possible. 

LOVE. 

• This is the sweetest theme in the Scriptures and 
the greatest thing in earth or heaven. ' ' God is love, ' ' 
and because he is love he sought to rescue, through 
the sacrifice of his Son, his fallen creatures. It was 
love that prompted God to make so great a sacrifice 
for man. It is love that prompts man to sacrifice all 



102 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

for God. When man loves God he loves everything 
in God's creation. No man can love God and hate his 
brother; no man can love God and hate his enemies. 
God loves his enemies. It is the nature of the love of 
God. When man possesses the love of God in his heart 
he will love his enemies. To love those who love us 
and despise those who despise us, is not a love that is 
a fruit of the Spirit. When man possesses the love 
of God he does not love the world. 1 John 2 : 15-17. 
Everything in our service to God if acceptable must 
be actuated by love. Supernatural gifts are nothing 
without love. 1 Cor. 13 : 1, 2. The greatest deeds 
of sacrifice profit us nothing without they are done 
in love. ver. 3. In the following verses of this 
chapter the nature of love is beautifully and obvi- 
ously portrayed. 

1. Charity suffereth long. By long-suffering is 
meant to patiently bear with the failings and foi- 
bles of our brother, "With all lowliness and meek- 
ness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in 
love." Eph. 4:2. There is a beautiful thought in 
1 Tim. 1 : 16. That Jesus might show his long-suffer- 
ing through us as a pattern for all who may in any 
way know of our life. 

2. Charity is kind. Where love is there is kindness. 
The greater the love the greater the kindness. The 
lioness in all the fierceness of her nature strokes her 
whelp in tenderness and kindness. Thus kindness is 
a product of love. Love will put a tenderness in our 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 103 

looks, a gentleness in our speech, and a kindness in 
our acts. If you are not as kind as you know you 
should be, seek God for more of his love. 

3. Charity envieth not. How impossible to envy 
those we love. The more fortunate they are the more 
we rejoice. The more they are praised and honored 
the deeper is our joy. With those we love, we weep 
when they weep and rejoice when they rejoice. If 
there is a secret envy in your heart because of the 
praise and prosperity of others, the love of God is 
wanting. "Let not thine heart envy sinners." Prov. 
23 : 17. 

4. Charity vaunteth not itself. We can only love 
God at the sacrifice of all self-love. When man pos- 
sesses the love of God there is no self-praise, nor seek- 
ing of honor ; there is no setting self forward, but the 
lowliest seat is the most desirable. 

5. Charity is not puffed up. There are no feelings 
of self-importance in the heart when the love of God 
is abounding. We love him so devotedly we desire 
him to receive all the praise. Should God make some 
use of you it will be natural to give him all the praise. 

6. Charity doth not behave itself unseemly. There 
is a becomingness in all the actions of pure and holy 
love. There is a beautiful consistency in the worship 
of God when all is actuated by pure love. There is 
nothing unseemly in our behavior toward God or our 
fellow man, even to the most cultured minds, when 
influenced by love. It is noble and sublime, elevating 



104 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

and pleasing to pure hearts. Praise is comely when 
flowing from a heart full of love, but a wild hurrahing 
is unseemly. All unseemly conduct in modes and 
forms of worship— such as tossing the head to and fro, 
swaying the body, the loud stamping of feet, rolling 
on the floor, lying stiff and rigid, shouting until the 
face reddens and veins distend and exhaustion over- 
comes, are disgracing to God and disgusting to re- 
fined ears and pure hearts. 

7. Charity seeketh not her own. When man pos- 
sesses the love of God he does not seek his own pleasure 
and happiness but is interested in the welfare and 
happiness of others; 'He looks not upon his own 
things but upon the things of others. ' We seek oppor- 
tunities to do good to those we love. 

8. Charity is not easily provoked. There is a 
weightiness in the love of God. It balances all our 
actions. We are not hasty under provocations; we 
are not excited or vexed at every trivial occurrence. 

9. Charity thinketh no evil. The meditations of 
a heart of pure love are holy. A holy man 's thoughts 
are upon pure and true subjects. He thinketh no 
evil. 

10. Charity rejoiceth not in iniquity. Sin saddens 
and grieves the heart of love. Should there be a se- 
cret rejoicing in your heart because some brother 
has fallen into sin, you are proud and an abominati'on 
unto God. 

11. Charity rejoiceth in the truth. Where the truth 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 105 

is accepted it causes the heart of love to rejoice. 
Should God use some other individual in setting the 
truth before people which causes them to rejoice, if 
you love God and the truth you will rejoice with 
them. 

12. Charity beareth all things. Amid adversities, 
afflictions, persecutions, temptations and trials, when 
storms gather, and breakers threaten, when friends 
prove false, and the way grows weary, love looks 
trustingly up to God and says, ' ' Thou doeth all things 
well, blessed be thy name." 

13. Charity believeth all things. Those who love 
are ever ready to believe the best of everything and 
everybody. They see all the good qualities of man 
before they see his faults. They are ready to believe 
all the good they hear of any one and slow to believe 
evil. They rejoice to put confidence in man, and when 
man's evil ways break that confidence they still hope 
for something good. 

14. Charity hopeth all things. It is very difficult 
to discourage the heart that is full of love. When love 
waxes cold then disappointments may cause a mur- 
mur. Love hopes for the very best outcome for good 
of everything. 

15. Charity endureth all things. The same might be 
said of this as that "charity beareth all things." 
Whatever darkness may arise to-day, Love hopes for 
sunshine to-morrow and patiently endures. 

16. Charity never fails. Thank God! Pretended 



106 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

friends may fail you; the world may fail you; 
wealth and honor may fail you; but love will never 
fail. It will bear you over the rough places in life's 
pathway. It will drive away the clouds. It will kiss 
the chastening rod. It will sweeten the bitter cup. 
It will soften the hardest pillow, and when you are 
brought down into the shadow of death Love looks 
across to the golden glories and sings as the cords are 
being severed — Love never fails. 

"Fairest and foremost of the trains that wait 
On man's most dignified and happiest state, 
Whether we name thee Charity or Love, 
Chief grace below, and all in all above.' '—Cowper. 

JOY. 

The second mentioned fruit of the Spirit is joy. 
God is glorified by our fruit-bearing. To be filled 
with joy is honoring God. Not rejoicing only when 
the world is smiling upon you and prosperity extends 
her jeweled hand. At these times the ungodly can 
rejoice. But when the world frowns and prosperity 
hides her face, when trials and temptations are 
divers, to then rejoice is a golden fruit for God. 
Tribulations may come, but, when filled with the 
Spirit, we glory in them. Rom. 5:3. beloved, look 
upward to God and rejoice. Trust in his promise 
and count everything joy, no matter what may be 
the circumstances of life. Trials, temptations, dis- 
couragements, afflictions, imprisonments, persecutions, 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 107 

destruction, and poverty — know that nothing can 
separate you from the love of God ; so go on your 
way rejoicing. 

PEACE. 

Jesus sets up his throne of peace in the hearts of 
the righteous and there he reigns a king. Peace he 
gives unto us, not as this world gives, but a peace 
that flows like a river— a peace that is abiding. 
' ' Acquaint thyself with God and be at peace. ' ' Listen 
to what the Word of God says about the peace of the 
righteous. "Great peace have they;" "Thou wilt 
keep him in perfect peace;" "Peace like a river;" 
"Filled with all peace and joy." 

A precious fruit, which the Christian should de- 
velop by placing greater confidence in God. 

LONG-SUFFERING. 

' ' With all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffer- 
ing, forbearing one another in love. ' ' Eph. 4:2. 
When we put on Christ, we put on his nature and 
characteristics. He was long-suffering; and we are 
commanded to put on as the elect of God "bowels 
of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, 
long-suffering. ' ' Col. 3 : 12. 

GENTLENESS. 

The apostle speaks of his gentleness on one occa- 
sion in these words: "But we were gentle among 
you, even as a nurse cherisheth her children. ' ' 1 Thes. 



108 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

2:7. " The servant of the Lord must not strive ; but 
be gentle unto all men." 2 Tim. 2:24. "To speak 
evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, show- 
ing all meekness unto all men. ' ' Tit. 3 : 2. That wis- 
dom which is from above is gentle. Jas. 3 : 17. Culti- 
vate the grace of gentleness and thus glorify God. 

GOODNESS. 

"For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and 
righteousness and truth. ' ' Eph. 5:9. " Doing good 
unto all men as we have opportunity ' ' is the com- 
mand of God: "See that none render evil for evil 
unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, 
both among yourselves, and to all men. ' ' 1 Thes. 5 : 15. 
Let goodness fill our actions toward all. Be good. 

FAITH. 

If you have faith in God prove it by your works. 
Your works are the fruit. Why are you discouraged 
and cast down if you have faith? Why do you seek 
protection from the world if you have faith in God? 
Why do you fear and tremble if you have faith? 
Faith has subdued kingdoms, stopped the mouths of 
lions, quenched the violence of fire, caused the sun to 
stand still, escaped the edge of the sword, waxed 
valiant in fight, and turned to flight the armies of the 
aliens. Faith overcomes the world and pleases God. 
Show your faith by your works and thus honor the 
name of Jesus. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 109 

MEEKNESS. 

This is a beautiful fruit of the Spirit. It is almost 
synonymous with humility. Christ was meek and 
lowly. We are to be like him. "Show all meekness 
unto all men." God will "beautify the meek with 
salvation." We are commanded to put on meekness. 
Col. 3 : 12, 13. Wear it constantly, long usage will 
not impair it. We are to manifest meekness in our 
whole conduct. Jas. 3 : 13. We must instruct those 
who oppose us, in meekness. 2 Tim. 2 : 24, 25. Meek- 
ness is necessary to a Christian walk. Eph. 4:1, 2. 
With it we are to restore the erring. Gal. 6:1. It is 
precious in the sight of God. 1 Pet. 3 : 4. 

TEMPERANCE. 

To be temperate in our whole life is truly exem- 
plary. In all the things God has given us for use 
we are to be temperate ; in eating, drinking, sleeping, 
laboring, be temperate^ 

These are the fruits of the Spirit, against which 
there is no law. Bear them in profusion and there 
will be no law against you in that final day. Amen. 

FRUITS OF THE FLESH. 

Since we have given an exposition of the fruits of 
a Christian, which have their origin in heaven, as 
expressed by the apostle, we deem it necessary to 
set before the reader in a true Bible light the 
fruits of the flesh, which have their origin in an evil 



110 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

nature. While we are aware that many are deceived 
as to their spiritual condition, as saith the Scriptures, 
yet none need to be. The Word of God so carefully 
enumerates the fruits of a Christian heart and the 
fruits of an evil heart, that all may know by impar- 
tial examination what manner of tree they are. ' ' The 
tree is known by his fruits. " " Know thyself. " ' ' Now 
the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; 
adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idol- 
atry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulation, wrath, 
strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunken- 
ness, revelings, and such like : of the which I tell you 
before, as I have also told you in time past, that 
they which do such things shall not inherit the king- 
dom of God." Gal. 5:19-21. 

1. Adultery and fornication. "But I say unto 
you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after 
her hath committed adultery with her already in 
his heart.' ' Mat. 5:28. "Whosoever putteth away 
his wife, and marrieth another, committeth adultery: 
and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her 
husband committeth adultery. ' ' Luke 16 : 18. This is 
clear and plain language and all can understand it 
without comment. 

2. Uncleanness. This may include filthy habits, 
but especially impure thoughts and conversation, un- 
holy practises and desires. 

3. Lasciviousness. All lewdness and wantonness. 

4. Idolatry. Covetousness is idolatry. Col. 3 : 5. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. HI 

Covetousness— A desire to gain money, goods, honor, 
or praise, even at the expense of another. 

5. Witchcraft. Enchantments and spells, such as 
healing by hypnotism, and sciences. Omens, signs 
and superstitions, so frightfully common. 

6. Hatred. A feeling of ill-will against any one 
or anything. "Whosoever hateth his brother is a 
murderer. ' ' 1 John 3 : 15. Feelings of hatred are op- 
posed to feelings of love. 

7. Variance. When hatred in the hearts of two in- 
dividuals develops into open acts, it is variance. 

8. Emulation. This is a disposition to strive to 
excel others, even at their expense— exaltedness. 

9. Wrath. An outburst of hatred. 

10. Strife. Contentions, janglings, disputings. 

11. Seditions. Divisions, parties, factions, or sects. 

12. Heresies. Erroneous teachings and beliefs, 
forming sects and factions. 

13. Envyings. A feeling of jealousy at the success 
of others. "Let us walk honestly as in the day; not 
in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and 
wantonness, not in strife and envying." Rom. 13: 13. 
See also 1 Cor. 3 : 3 ; 2 Cor. 12 : 20 ; Jas 3 : 14, 16. 

14. Murders. To hate a brother is to become a 
murderer. See hatred. 

15. Drunkenness. An effect produced by drinking 
fermented wines, or inebriating drinks of any kind. 

16. Revelings. Worldly amusements of any kind: 
theater-going, dancing, picnics, suppers, fairs, socials, 



112 THE GOSPEL. DAY; OR, 

Christmas festivities, etc. They which do such things 
shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

You will notice that the fruits of the flesh are di- 
rectly opposed to the fruits of the Spirit. By care- 
ful and prayerful study of this catalogue of evil 
fruits and an examination of your actions, thoughts, 
and inclinations, you can unmistakably know whether 
you are prepared or not for heaven. Make your call- 
ing and election sure. Never be contented if there 
is any fruit in your life of the nature of the above. 
I have been asked the question, "Will a Christian 
ever attend the present day church entertainments V ' 
A Christian, largely ignorant of the vast separation 
from the world salvation makes, may, through the 
persuasion of friends, or some other similar cause, 
attend such a place of revelry, but he will not enjoy 
the hour. He will be uneasy and long for the last 
act that he may get away to commune with God. 
Whoever has a heart to enter into such worldliness 
with enjoyment has a heart unfit for heaven. He is 
not a Christian. 

TWO WORKS OF GRACE. 

Many treat with scorn the doctrine of "two works 
of grace," but that can never make it unscriptural. 
It is very unwise to disbelieve a truth merely because 
we have been taught and always believed to the con- 
trary. An early education has a great influence upon 
the mind. Through the teachings of a relative we 
embraced an error in our youth. In after years 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 113 

when the subject was read and thought upon it was 
difficult to comprehend and believe the plain truths of 
history. It is wisdom therefor 3 to always carefully 
and prayerfully examine a doctrine before condemn- 
ing and rejecting it. "Why does not God fully re- 
deem the soul in one instantaneous work of grace?" 
many ask. What right have we to question God con- 
cerning his plan of redemption? Was not the whole 
scheme in his hand? What part has man performed 
in the arrangement of the affair ? Then why should he 
question ? It only remains for us to humbly bow our 
hearts and accept the plan as God has devised it, 
else we can never have a part in it. 

Why did God require Naaman to dip seven times 
in Jordan ? Why did Jesus put his hands the second 
time upon the blind man of Bethsaida before he 
saw clearly? Why does God redeem a soul by two 
works of grace? These questions are equally absurd. 
But you say, God does the thing most reasonable. 
That he does, and redemption by two works of grace 
is the very most reasonable and natural way to re- 
store the soul to its normal condition. Man was holy 
in his nature in creation. By sin he became possessed 
of an evil nature. The Psalmist says, "I was shapen 
in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." 
Psa. 51 : 5. The apostle declares he was by nature a 
child of wrath. Eph. 2 : 3. Other texts could be 
quoted, but these together with the knowledge of a 
child 's disposition is sufficient to convince any candid 



114 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

mind. Children naturally learn evil things, while 
good traits more often have to be forced upon them 
by training. It comes natural for them to get angry, 
•to be selfish, to tell falsehoods, to fight, to be proud, 
etc.; not in all to the same degree, but such disposi- 
tion is largely predominant in the generality of chil- 
dren, and exists to a certain degree in all. 

Children are not responsible for this evil nature as 
we have previously spoken. They are not responsible 
for their wrong acts, because they have no knowledge 
of right and wrong. They may tell falsehoods before 
they have strength of intellect to comprehend wrong, 
and it is no sin to them; but when the child reaches 
such maturity of mind as to know right and wrong, 
a falsehood then told makes him a transgressor and 
he feels the guilt of sin upon his soul, which he never 
felt unto that hour. The evil nature that influenced 
him to speak falsely did not condemn him, it is the 
yielding to such a nature that brought the condem- 
nation. God commands him to repent. Of what? 
Not of the evil inclined disposition, but of the sin 
of lying. Suppose the child after a year, or a few 
years does repent of his sins; he repents of all, even 
to his first, but his repentance goes no farther; he 
is no farther responsible, and it is impossible for man 
to repent of that for which he is not responsible. God 
forgives him, and the forgiveness extends just as far 
as the repentance. 

Man is not pardoned or forgiven of that for which 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 115 

he is wholly irresponsible. Every committed sin is 
forgiven, even to the first, and he is as innocent and 
free from sin and guilt as when a babe in his mother's 
arms. This is the first work of grace. He is justified, he 
is born again, or reborn — brought back to the state of 
his babyhood. "Except ye be converted, and become 
as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom 
of heaven." Mat. 18: 3. Conversion or the first work 
of grace restores us to the happy innocency of child- 
hood. The evil nature still remains to be removed in 
sanctification, the second work of grace. This is not 
an act of forgiveness or pardon, but a cleansing. It 
is not through repentance, but consecration. 

The Jewish economy contains types and shadows 
of this twofold salvation. Egyptian bondage is typi- 
cal of sin. Crossing the Red Sea is typical of justi- 
fication. Crossing the Jordan, that of sanctification. 
The Jewish tabernacle consisting of the holy and most 
holy place is a shadow of the spiritual tabernacle of 
God— the church. The disciples were saved men 
before Pentecost. That was the date of their sancti- 
fication. In reading the eighth chapter of Acts we 
learn at the fifth verse that Philip went down to 
Samaria and preached Christ, and many believed. 
Evil spirits were cast out and the palsied and lame 
were healed. They certainly were Christians. Read- 
ing on to the fourteenth verse we learn that Peter and 
John went down and prayed for them and they re- 
ceived the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the sane- 



116 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

tifier. Rom. 15 : 16. Cornelius was a devout Christian 
man, fearing God, giving much alms to the people, 
and praying to God always. He was directed in 
a vision by an angel of God to send to Joppa for 
Peter. When Peter was come he preached unto them, 
and as he spoke the Holy Ghost fell on all them which 
heard the word. Acts 10th chapter. He with his 
household were devout Christians before they received 
the Holy Spirit— the sanctifier. 

We will now quote a few texts of Scripture teaching 
two works of grace. "Therefore being justified by 
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus 
Christ : by whom also we have access by faith into this 
grace [sanctification] wherein we stand, and rejoice 
in hope of the glory of God." Rom. 5:1, 2. Paul 
says to the Gentiles that he was sent unto them "to 
open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that 
they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheri- 
tance among them which are sanctified by faith that is 
in me. ' ' Acts 26 : 18. "Not by works of righteousness 
which we have done, but according to his mercy he 
saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renew- 
ing of the Holy Ghost." Titus 3:5. 

The Thessalonian brethren were abounding in faith 
and love and patience of hope in Jesus ; however Paul 
tells them that God wills their sanctification. 1 Thes. 
4:3. The apostle exhorts the Roman church to a per- 
fect consecration of life and all to God that they might 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 117 

prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect 
will of God." Rom. 12: 1, 2. This " perfect will" is 
sanctification. These texts we consider sufficient to give 
light unto the teachable, and any number perhaps 
would be without force or effect unto the unteachable. 

The two works of grace are very generally misunder- 
stood, especially the grace of sanctification. We be- 
lieve God will help us here to make it clear to many a 
reader. Justification, the first work of grace, is a full 
pardon of every transgression, a removal of guilt. A 
justified life is one wholly free from transgression. 
The justified do not commit sin. Sanctification is a 
destruction of the depraved nature, or a cleansing of 
inherited sin from the soul. This grace fully prepares 
the soul for heaven. The soul is as pure in this grace 
as it will be in heaven. All elements and dispositions 
contrary to the nature of heaven are dethroned. All 
pride, levity, lust, and impatience proceeding from an 
evil nature are perfectly cleansed away. To have 
pride in a pure heart is impossible. To have lust or 
lightness or impatience in a pure heart is equally im- 
possible. 

We might ask the question, Will not the sanctified 
under any circumstance have the slightest yieldings 
to exaltation, levity and impatience ? and, if the sanc- 
tified speak a word in lightness or impatience does he 
forfeit the experience? We will answer these ques- 
tions in the fear of God. Many who have claimed the 
experience of sanctification have found discouraging 



118 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

trouble at this point. In the company of flatterers 
they yielded to the spirit of exaltation. In the com- 
pany of the frivolous they have yielded to the spirit 
of levity. Under a severe trial they have spoken 
words of impatience, and are then almost in despair. 
Man is a twofold being, an inward spiritual man, 
and an outward physical man. In sanctification the in- 
ward man is possessed only by God. The physical 
members are to be used by the soul to the praise of 
God. Satan will bring his force to bear against the 
outward man to influence to evil and thus destroy the 
life of the soul. Thus the physical being becomes the 
battle ground between God in the soul and Satan. 
Early in the experience of sanctification when there 
has been but little time for development there may be 
slight triumphs of Satan without forfeiting the ex- 
perience of sanctification, but the soul is awakened to 
greater activity and earnestness to control every ac- 
tion and word to the praise of God. The Lord is sought 
in earnest prayer for more of his power, for more of 
his grace, that they may be more deeply fortified in 
the life divine. The slight victories of the evil one 
become slighter and less frequent. The individual 
thus increases in faith, in humility, in gentleness, in 
kindness, in love according to the additions required 
to make our calling and election sure. 2 Pet. 1. By 
giving diligence the soul ere long will gain such power 
in God as to authoritatively command the perfect obe- 
dience of every member of the physical being. The 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 119 

body will be kept under subjection and every member 
used as an instrument of righteousness unto G-od. 

Any diseased condition of the outward man is an 
advantage to Satan. Shattered nerves strengthen 
his temptations to impatience and discouragements. 
That Satan may have no advantage over us, God in his 
plan of redemption made provision for the healing of 
the body. If the soul through prosperity or otherwise 
becomes slothful, disease may be permitted to attack 
the body, or other afflictions may come to awaken to 
greater watchfulness. To become more hasty of 
speech, to become less grave, to become less humble 
and meek, less patient, is to be correspondingly losing 
the power of God, and is called backsliding. There 
are those to-day who have been claiming to be sancti- 
fied for some years, and they are no more patient nor 
sober-minded nor sound in speech, no more humble, 
nor have more faith than they had the first year of 
their experience. In all probability they are back- 
slidden and have naught but an empty form. By dil- 
igence, careful watching and incessant prayer, the 
soul can reign triumphant. Every look, every action, 
every word, and thought will be under the direct in- 
fluence of the divine life, and soul, body, and spirit be 
preserved blameless until the coming of the Lord. 

We wish to give in parallel columns nine scriptures, 
describing man raised to the plane of justification, 
and nine describing the state of the wholly sanctified. 
Also a few texts expressing God's will to the sinner, 



120 



THE GOSPEL DAY: OR, 



and parallel texts to the justified. And in conclusion 
a few texts showing the provisions God has made for 
the justification of the sinner and the sanctification of 
the justified. 



STATE OF THE JUSTIFIED. 

1. In Christ. "For we are 
his workmanship, created in 
Christ Jesus unto good works, 
which God hath before or- 
dained that we should walk in 
them." Eph. 2: 10. 

2. Obtained grace. "For by 
grace are ye saved through 
faith; and that not of your- 
selves: it is the gift of God." 
Eph. 2 : 8. 



STATE OF THE SANCTIFIED. 

1. Perfect in Christ. "Whom 
we preach, warning every man, 
and teaching every man in all 
wisdom; that we may present 
every man perfect in Christ 
Jesus." Col. 1: 28. 

2 Abundance of grace. 
1 ' Much . more they which re- 
ceive abundance of grace and 
of the gift of righteousness 
shall reign in life by one, 
Jesus Christ." Eom. 5: 17. 



3. Justified. "And by him 
all that believe are justified 
from all things, from which 
ye could not be justified by 
the law of Moses." Acts 13: 
39. 

4. Have light. "I am the 
light of the world: he that 
f olloweth me shall not walk in 
darkness, but shall have the 
light of life." John 8: 12. 
"Awake thou that sleepest, 
and arise from the dead, and 
Christ shall give thee light." 
Eph. 5: 14. 



3. Sanctified. "For by one 
offering he hath perfected for- 
ever them that are sanctifie.1. 
Whereof the Holy Ghost also 
is a witness to us." Heb. 10: 
14, 15. 

4. Full of light.' 'The light 
of the body is the eye: if 
therefore thine eye be single, 
thy whole body shall be full 
of light." Mat. 6: 22. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 



121 



5. Have peace. "Therefore 
being justified by faith, we 
have peace with God through 
our Lord Jesus Christ.' ' Bom. 
5: 1. 



5. Have perfect peace. 
"Thou wilt keep him in per- 
fect peace, whose mind is 
stayed on thee: because he 
trusteth in thee." Isa. 26; 3. 



6. Have life. "Verily, ver- 
ily, I say unto you, He that 
heareth my word, and believ- 
eth on him that sent me, hath 
everlasting life, and shall not 
come into condemnation; but 
is passed from death unto 
life." John 5: 24. 



6. Have abundant life. 
"The thief cometh not, but 
for to steal and to kill and to 
destroy: I am come that they 
might have life, and that they 
might have it more abundant- 
ly." John 10: 10. 



7. Have faith. "For ye are 
all the children of God by 
faith in Christ Jesus." Gal. 
3: 26. 



7. Full of faith. "For he 
was a good man and full of 
the Holy Ghost and of faith: 
and much people was added 
unto the Lord." Acts 11: 24. 



8. Love God. "Peter was 
grieved because he said unto 
him the third time, Lovest 
thou me? And he said unto 
him, Lord, thou knowest all 
things; thou knowest that 1 
love thee." John 21: 17. 



8. Perfect in love. "Herein 
is our love made perfect, that 
we may have boldness in the 
day of judgment: because as 
he is, so are we in this 
world." 1 John 4: 17. 



9. Babes in Christ. "And 1, 
brethren, could not speak un- 
to you as unto spiritual, but 
as unto carnal, even as unto 
babes in Christ." 1 Cor. 3: 1. 



9. Men in Christ. "Till we 
all come in the unity of the 
faith, and of the knowledge 
of the Son of God, unto a per- 
fect man, unto the measure of 
the stature of the fulness of 
Christ." Eph. 4: 13. 



122 



THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 



god's WTLL. 



TO THE SINNER. 



TO THE JUSTIFIED. 



Repentance. "The Lord is Sanctification. "For this is 
. . . not willing that any should the will of God, even your 
perish, but that all should sanctification. ' ' 1 Thes. 4: 3. 
come to repentance." 2 Pet. 
3: 9. 



Called to repentance. ' ' I am 
not come to call the righteous, 
but sinners to repentance." 
Mat. 9 : 13. 



Called to sanctification. 
"For God hath not called us 
unto uncleanness, but unto 
holiness." 1 Thes. 4: 7. 



Commands repentance. "And 
the times of this ignorance 
God winked at; but now com- 
mandeth all men everywhere 
to repent. ' ' Acts 17 : 30. 



Commands sanctificatiov. 
( ( Having therefore these 
promises, dearly beloved, let 
us cleanse ourselves from all 
filthiness of the flesh and 
spirit, perfecting holiness in 
the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7: 1. 



The reason for repentance. The reason for sanctification, 
"I tell you, Nay: but, except "Follow peace with all men, 
ye repent, ye shall all likewise and holiness, without which no 
perish." Luke 13: 3. man shall see the Lord." Heb. 

12: 14. 



PROVISIONS MADE. 



FOR THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE FOR 

SINNER. 



1. The Word. "For I am 
not ashamed of the gospel of 
Christ: for it is the power of 
God unto salvation to every 
one that believeth." Eom. 
1: 16. 



THE SANCTIFICATION OF 
THE BELIEVER. 



1. The Word. "Sanctify 
them through thy truth: thy 
word is truth." John 17: 17 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 



123 



2. The Spirit. "Jesus an- 
swered, Verily, verily, I say 
unto thee, Except a man be 
born of water and of the Spir- 
it, he can not enter into the 
kingdom of God." John 3: 5. 

3. The Blood. "Unto him 
that loved us, and washed us 
from our sins in his own 
blood." Eev. 1: 5. 

4. Jesus. "And he is the 
propitiation for our sins: and 
not for ours only, but also for 
the sins of the whole world. ' ' 
1 John 2 : 2. 

5. God. "Which were born, 
not of blood, nor of the 
will of the flesh, nor of the 
will of man, but of God." 
John 1 : 13. 



2. The Spirit. "That i 
should be the minister of 
Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, 
ministering the gospel of God, 
that the offering up of the 
Gentiles might be acceptable, 
being sanctified by the Holy 
Ghost. ' ' Eom. 15 : 16. 
3. The Blood. "Wherefore 
Jesus also, that he might sanc- 
tify the people with his own 
blood, suffered without the 
gate." Heb. 13: 12. 

4. Jesus. "And inheritance 
among them which are sancti- 
fied by faith that is in me 
[Jesus]." Acts 26: 18. 

5. God. "And the very God 
of peace sanctify you wholly; 
. . . faithful is he that calleth 
you, who also will do it." 1 



Thes. 5 : 23, 24. 
The following diagram illustrates man's fall and 
redemption. To make our explanation clear and com- 
prehensive we have numbered each line. No. 1 is a 
line used to represent the plane of God's holiness. 
"The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and 
holy in all his works. ' ' Psa. 145 : 17. No. 2 represents 
the plane of man's holiness in his creation. Gen. 1: 
26 ; Eccl. 7 : 29. No. 3 indicates the transgression or 
fall of man to the low plane of sin. Gen. 3 : 1-7 ; Rom. 
5 : 12. Line No. 4 represents the plane of sin or trans- 
gression. No. 5, the plane of innocency or childhood 
state. Psa, 51 : 5 ; Eph. 2 : 3. No. 6, the falling of the 



124 



THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 



child from innocency to the plane of sin after a wil- 
ful, known transgression. No. 7, the holiness of Jesus. 
Heb. 7 : 26. No. 8, spiritual resurrection or repent- 
ance and salvation. No. 9, innocency restored by be- 



ing born again. 

1 2 



John 3:3; Mat. 18 : 3. 



No. 10, con- 
li 



secration and elevation to the plane of holiness. No. 
11, the plane of man's holiness in complete and full 
salvation. 1 John 3 : 3, 7 ; 1 John 4 : 17. 

BEING LIKE JESUS. 

Holiness is the image of God. A holy seer, in a vi- 
sion, saw the Lord and his high throne. He saw the 
angels hovering over and heard one shouting, ' ' Holy, 
holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts : the whole earth is full 
of his glory. ' ' Isa. 6 : 1-3. Nothing in earth or in 
heaven is so beautiful as holiness. The Scriptures are 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 125 

sublime in their description of the loveliness of the 
celestial world. Poets have sung of the exquisite de- 
lights of that better land. The crowning feature of 
attractiveness is holiness. Should the despiser of holi- 
ness be permitted to stroll through the fields of heaven 
he would find no object of beauty there. The rose of 
Sharon would be but a faded flower, ' ' no beauty that 
we should desire him. ' ' Isa. 53 : 2. 

The one object and desire in the life of the sweet 
singer David, a holiness admirer, was to dwell in the 
house of the Lord all his days to ' ' behold the beauty 
of the Lord. ' ' Psa. 27 : 4. The beautiful holy image 
of God was seen upon man in his creation. He man- 
ifested the holy character of his Creator. He was in 
nature like God. The Almighty in looking over the 
works of creation saw that everything he had made, 
man included, was very good (Gen. 1: 31) ; therefore 
we can rightly conclude that as he looked upon man he 
looked upon a creature as pure and holy and fault- 
less as an angel in heaven, else he would not have 
pronounced him very good. Such without controversy 
was the state of man by creation : as holy and as pure 
in his nature as his Maker. But a sorrowful change 
came to man. He transgressed the law of his God, 
and as a result the holy image of the Creator was 
supplanted by the hideous deformity of sin. 

After the transgression, God again looked upon man 
and "saw that his wickedness was very great in the 
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of 



126 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

his heart was only evil continually. ' ' Gen. 6:5. This 
grieved him at his heart, and he repented of having 
made man. However he purposes that man shall yet 
enjoy the blessing of a holy state. Accordingly he 
sent his Son to this world to redeem him. This Son 
was in the image of the Father "in whom the god of 
this world hath blinded the minds of them which be- 
lieve not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, 
who is the image of God, should shine unto them." 2 
Cor. 4:4. " Who is the image of the invisible God, 
the first-born of every creature. ' ' Col. 1 : 15. 

The Father has ordained that man in the Son should 
be made holy or in his original purity. "According 
as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of 
the world, that we should be holy and without blame 
before him in love. ' ' Eph. 1:4. "In holiness and 
righteousness before him, all the days of our life." 
Luke 1 : 75. 

In being restored to holiness man is conformed to 
the image of the Son. ' ' For whom he did foreknow, he 
also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of 
his Son, that he might be the first-born among many 
brethren." Rom. 8: 29. It is true God foreknew that 
some would not believe on his Son and be redeemed, 
and he foreknew that others would. Here we behold 
the wonderful mercy of God. He strives with the 
heart of the sinner and brings all influences possible 
to bear upon him to turn him from his sin, and all 
the time knowing he would never be saved; however 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 127 

he thus leaves him without excuse and makes him 
wholly responsible for his loss. 

What is the image of the Son? He was holy, harm- 
less, and undenled. Heb. 7 : 26. He was equal with 
God. Phil. 2:6. He was in the glory and holiness of 
the Father. God after creation looked over the work 
of his hands and pronounced all very good. After the 
' ' transgression ' ' he saw that all was very wicked. Now 
•Jesus comes and presents to the Father one who has 
been redeemed by the all-atoning blood, and as God 
views him over he stands "holy and unblamable and 
unreprovable in his sight." Halleluiah! Read Col. 
1 : 21, 22. The redemption obtained through the blood 
of Jesus is perfect and complete. It makes us "com- 
plete in him." Col. 2: 10. Dear reader, this moment, 
with open heart before the all-seeing eye of God, does 
the Spirit witness clearly to your soul that you are 
"holy and without blame before him in love?" To 
be like Jesus includes only his holy nature. We are 
not to be like him in power to forgive sins, but in a 
holy life. We are to be thus like him in this present 
life; "because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 
John 4: 17. In this world we are to be like him in 
holiness. "But as he which hath called you is holy, 
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because 
it is written, "Be ye holy ; for I am holy. ' ' 1 Pet. 1 : 
15, 16. God predestinated that we should be like him. 
He is holy, therefore he calls the believer unto holi- 



128 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

When we are restored to the holy nature of God 
it will be our nature to be as merciful as he is mer- 
ciful. "Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also 
is merciful. ' ' Luke 6 : 36. The mercy of God consists 
in showing favor unsolicited; in bestowing blessings 
upon the ungrateful. God in his mercy gave his Son 
to die for a wicked world. When we are made par- 
takers of the divine nature, we go about showing favor 
and kindness to all; though men scorn us, revile us, 
and trample us down without mercy, we eagerly seize 
every opportunity to do them good. 

With respect to the principles of Christianity we 
are, when fully redeemed, perfect as our Father in 
heaven. " Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father 
which is in heaven is perfect. ' ' Mat. 5 : 48. By read- 
ing the contexts we find he is speaking of love. When 
fully saved there is naught in our heart but love, 
loving just as God loves. Such love enables us with 
joy to show kindness to our enemies, to feed them 
when they are hungry, and give them drink when they 
thirst. Rom. 12 : 20. 

When we are fully saved we are like the Lord in 
purity: "And every man that hath this hope in him 
purineth himself, even as he is pure." 1 John 3:3. 
Every crimson stain of sin is cleansed away and we 
are whiter than the snow. The evil nature incurred 
by Adam 's sin is perfectly destroyed and we are made 
as pure as though there had never been a sin in this 
world. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 129 

We will be like our Creator and Redeemer in right- 
eousness: "Little children, let no man deceive you: he 
that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is 
righteous. ' ' 1 John 3 : 7. Some do teach that we can 
not be righteous. The Word of God declares they 
are deceivers. 

When we thus become of the pure, holy, righteous 
and merciful nature of Jesus it will of necessity sep- 
arate us as far from this world and worldliness as he 
was separated. "I have given them thy word; and 
the world hath hated them, because they are not of 
the world, even as I am not of the world. ' ' John 17 : 
14. There lies a great and wide gulf between the 
Christian and the world. Jesus is the bridge for the 
sinner to cross to the Christian 's land. Sin and Satan 
is the bridge for the return of the Christian to the 
world. 

When the children of God are fully redeemed they 
are one even as ■ the Father and the Son are one. 
"And the glory which thou gavest me I have given 
them; that they may be one, even as we are one." 
John 17 : 22. This means a complete annihilation of 
every partisan spirit, a destruction of all strife and 
division. Should every professed Christian get salva- 
tion to the full Bible standard there would not be a 
sect left upon earth. 

God predestinated you to be conformed to the image 
of his Son ; holy as he is holy ; merciful as he is mer- 
ciful; perfect as he is perfect; pure as he is pure; 



130 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

righteous as he is righteous ; as far separated from the 
world as he is from the world, and one even as God 
and his Son are one. Such is the perfect redemption 
offered to man in this life through God's beloved Son. 
What can be more beautiful upon this earth than a 
soul redeemed from sin and a life reflecting the holy 
life of the Savior. " Christ before Pilate" is a rare 
and much admired work of art, but Christ in the soul 
and life is a work more grand and beautiful. For 
man to properly reflect the divine character necessi- 
tates a very close walk and deep communion with the 
Deity. There must be a constant feeding upon the di- 
vine life. There must be a careful watching and an 
effort to cultivate a deeper sense of the presence of 
God. Happy and blessed is the man whose heart is so 
filled with heavenly love and reverence to God as to 
cause him to give "all diligence" to develop into his 
own glorious image. 



CHAPTER VII. 
THE CHURCH OF GOD. 



More than one hundred times the words church and 
churches are used in the New Testament. It is always 
translated from ekklesia. Most translators agree that 
a more correct translation of this Greek word would 
have been congregation. "The church of God" would 
then have read, ' ' Congregation of God. " " The church 
of the first-born " would have read, "The congregation 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 131 

of the first-born." The church that was at Antioch 
would have read, ' ' The congregation that was at An- 
tioch," etc. 

WHAT IS THE CHURCH OR CONGREGATION? 

The word church is a much misused word. It is 
commonly used at the present day when speaking of 
the edifices erected for the purpose of the assembling 
of the church to worship God. The quoting of a few 
texts will give us the Bible definition of this word. 

" Likewise greet the church that is in their house." 
Rom. 16:5. This was the home of Priscilla and 
Aquila. This church was in their house. This 
house was not the church. The church was in their 
house. The command was to greet the church. This 
certainly begins to throw some light upon this sub- 
ject. See 1 Cor. 16: 19; Col. 4: 15; Phile. 2. "And 
hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be 
head over all things to the church, which is his body, 
the fulness of him that filleth all in all." Eph. 1 : 22, 
23. "And he is the head of the body, the church." 
Col. 1 : 18. See also 24th verse. 

These texts plainly teach the church to be the body 
of Christ. What is the body of Christ? Ans.— "Now 
ye [Christians] are the body of Christ, and members in 
particular." 1 Cor. 12 : 27. The body of Christ is the 
church. The church is Christians. This enables us 
to understand how the church could be in Priscilla 
and Aquila 's house, and how we can greet the church. 
This is the Bible definition of church. 



132 THE GOSPEL, DAY; OR, 

WHICH, ONE CHURCH OR MANY? 

In the writings of the apostles the plural form of 
the word church is frequently used, but this argues 
nothing against the unity of God's church, nor in 
favor of the multiplicity of sects. If all the saved 
people in the world could be congregated in one place 
there would be no occasion for using the plural form 
of this word. Had it been so in the days of the writers 
of the epistles, the word would have been used only 
in the singular. But since there was a church or con- 
gregation of Christians at Antioch, also a church at 
Corinth, at Thessalonica, Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, 
Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea, etc., to 
speak of the whole it would be proper to use the plural 
of church. "The churches of Asia." Please notice 
there is only one in each city, and the same writer ad- 
dresses them all. 

It does not take a town of so great a size to-day to 
find seven towering meeting-house steeples, where as- 
semble as many different bodies of believers, termed 
sects. No one minister addresses them all. No one 
elder gives orders to all these different sects. 1 Cor. 
16 : 1. No one minister ordains elders in all the sepa- 
rate bodies. 1 Cor. 7 : 17. The word churches was 
used to denote the different geographical location of 
the congregations of the Lord. The minister arguing 
in favor of the plurality of denominations from the 
plural term churches as found in the Bible is either 
ignorant or unfair. A plurality of sects is Babylon 
confusion, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 133 

The plural form is used in the Bible with reference 
to location and not to bodies having a different faith 
or belief. The church at Antioch had no contrary 
faith with the church at Corinth as we find existing 
between the denominations of to-day. They were 
separated by geographical distance, and not by dif- 
ference of belief. Had these different churches come 
together in one place they could all have listened 
to Paul preach and said, Amen. 



"The multitude of them that believed were of one 
heart and of one soul. ' ' Acts 4 : 32. Can these same 
words be correctly used when speaking of the believ- 
ers throughout the various denominations of to-day? 
' ' Now the God of patience and consolation grant you 
to be likeminded one toward another according to 
Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind and one 
mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ. ' ' Rom. 15 : 5, 6. "Now I beseech you, brethren, 
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all 
speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions 
among you ; but that ye be perfectly joined together 
in the same mind and in the same judgment. ' ' 1 Cor. 
1:10. 

By these two texts we learn that the church of God 
has but one mind ; it has but one mouth, and all speak 
the same thing. This is beautiful, this is heavenly. 
"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for breth- 



134 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

ren to dwell together in unity. " Psa. 133:1. It is 
only the church of the Bible that enjoys this pleasant 
unity, and we must never confound this church with 
the confusive sects. Babylon has as many mouths as 
there are sects, and they speak contrary things. 

' ' For ye are all one in Christ Jesus. ' ' Gal. 3 : 28. 
"Only let your conversation be as it becometh the 
gospel of Christ : that whether I come and see you, or 
else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that ye 
stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving to- 
gether for the faith of the gospel. ' ' Phil. 1 : 27. " Ful- 
fil ye my joy, that ye be likeminded, having the same 
love, being of one accord, of one mind. ' ' Phil. 2 : 2. 
"For as we have many members in one body, and all 
the members have not the same office: so we, being 
many, are one body in Christ, and every one members 
one of another. ' ' Rom. 12 : 4, 5. 

"Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: 
them also I must bring, . . . and there shall be one 
fold and one shepherd. ' ' John 10 : 16. The Savior was 
here speaking of the Gentiles and the Jews. Before the 
coming of Christ there was a partition wall between 
these two nations, but Jesus came to break down the 
middle wall of partition, so there should be neither 
Jew nor Greek, bond nor free, male nor female: but 
all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3 : 28. "For as the body 
is one, and hath many members, and all the members 
of that one body, being many, are one body : so also 
is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 135 

one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether 
we be bond or free ; and have been all made to drink 
into one Spirit." 1 Cor. 12: 12, 13. 

The ' ' many members ' ' here referred to are individ- 
ual Christians, and not the ecclesiastical bodies now 
extant, as some do ignorantly teach. "But now are 
they many members, yet but one body. ' ' 1 Cor. 12 : 20. 
In the fifteenth and sixteenth verses the apostle uses 
the physical body of man with its dependent members 
to illustrate the one body of Christ. These members 
work in blissful harmony and are dependent upon 
each other. A destruction of one member impairs the 
whole body. This is not illustrative of the different 
denominations; they are not dependent upon each 
other. Oftentimes they are opposed to each other, and 
thrive better when others are destroyed. 

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to 
the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye 
thankful." Col. 3:15. 

I am thankful that we are called as humble follow- 
ers of the Lamb, into one body only, where the peace 
of God rules in every heart. ' ' Now therefore ye are no 
more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens 
with the saints, and of the household of God." Eph. 
2 : 19. God has a household of saints here upon the 
earth where peace rules. A contentious, quarrelsome, 
divided family is no part of God's united household. 
One family in heaven and earth. Eph. 3 : 15. It is 
with great reluctancy that we pass by so many beau- 



136 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

tiful texts upon this subject, but we will only quote 
a few more lest this volume swell to too great pro- 
portions. "Holy Father, keep through thine own 
name those whom thou hast given me, that they may 
bft one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, 
I kept them in thy name : . . . neither pray I for these 
alone, but for them also which shall believe on me 
through their word ; that they all may be one ; as thou, 
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may 
be one in us: that the world may believe that thou 
hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me 
I have given them ; that they may be one, even as we 
are one : I in them and thou in me, that they may be 
made perfect in one; and that the world may know 
that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou 
hast loved me." John 17:11, 12, 20-23. 

Blessed oneness of God's own, 
Like the Father and the Son; 
One on earth like heav ; n above, 
Bound with cords of perfect love. 

O holy Christian band, filled with Heaven's love, 
Living in sweet accord like angels above, 

DIVISIONS CONDEMNED. 

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which 
cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine 
which ye have learned ; and avoid them ; For they that 
are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their 
own belly; and by good words and, fair speeches 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 137 

deceive the hearts of the simple. ' ' Rom. 16 : 17, 18. 
From the apostle they had learned the doctrine of 
oneness; he now warns them to avoid any contrary 
doctrine. "That there should be no schism in the 
body; but that the members should have the same 
care one for another. ' ' 1 Cor. 12 : 25. By consulting 
your dictionary you will find the word " schism' ' to 
be synonymous with the word "sect." "A man that 
is a heretic after the first and second admonition re- 
ject." Titus 3:10. Many translators have rendered 
heretic, sectarian. 

"For first of all, when ye come together in the 
church, I hear that there be divisions among you; 
and I partly believe it. For there must be also here- 
sies among you, that they which are approved may 
be made manifest among you. 1 Cor. 11 : 18, 19. 
Heresies and divisions are here spoken of as mean- 
ing about the same thing; or rather divisions are oc- 
casioned by heresies. If you will look in the margin 
of your reference Bible you will find this word trans- 
lated "sect." 

In Gal. 5 : 19, 20 is a number of deeds and disposi- 
tions classified and called the works of the flesh, and 
we are told that "they which do such things shall 
not inherit the kingdom of God." In this catalogue 
of evil works you will find the word "heresies." Up- 
on examining other translations you will find it ren- 
dered sects. See Emphatic Diaglott. 

1 ' Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our 



138 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, 
and that there be no divisions [schisms — margin] a- 
mong you. ' ' 1 Cor. 1 : 10. "But there were false proph- 
ets also among the people, even as there shall be 
false teachers among you, who privily shall bring 
in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that 
bought them, and bring upon themselves swift de- 
struction. ' ' 2 Pet. 2:1. In the German version the 
words "damnable heresies" is rendered "destructive 
sects. ' ' Paul sternly reproves the Corinthians and de- 
clares them carnal because of a division that had been 
manifested among them. 1 Cor. 3 : 1-4 ; also 1 Cor. 
1 : 10-13. 

ORGANIZATION OP THE CHURCH OP GOD. 

We will have to go to the dictionary to find a defi- 
nition of the word "organize," since the word is not 
found in the Bible. "To arrange in parts; to form 
in due order ; to furnish with organs, ' ' is the common 
definition. While the term "organize" is not con- 
tained in the Scriptures, yet the work of organi- 
zing God's church was performed, and his precious 
truth tells us how, and by whom it was done. "For 
to one [individual] is given by the Spirit the word of 
wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the 
same Spirit ; to another faith by the same Spirit ; to 
another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit ; to an- 
other the working of miracles ; to another prophecy ; to 
another discerning of spirits, to another divers kinds 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 139 

of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues: 
but all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, 
dividing to every man severally as he will. ' ' 1 Cor. 12 : 
8-11. Nothing need be plainer. It is the mission of 
the Holy Spirit to impart unto or bestow upon each 
member of God's church such qualifications as will 
make him a useful and effectual organ in this holy 
structure. 

What is necessary for the building and furnishing 
of the church of God is not necessary in the formation 
and organization of a man-made ecclesiasticism. For 
man to build what he is pleased to call a church he 
does not have to furnish it with "a gift of faith," 
nor "a gift of healing," nor of " working of mira- 
cles," nor of "prophecy," nor of "discerning of 
spirits," nor of "diversities of tongues," nor of 
"interpretation of tongues." Neither does he require 
the "wisdom of God," nor the "knowledge of God." 
It is true he will require much knowledge and wisdom 
of the world, but of all the things necessary in fur- 
nishing the church of God, not one of them is nec- 
essary in the building of a sect. 

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; 
and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teach- 
ers; for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of 
the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ." 
Eph. 4:10-12. "Take heed therefore unto your- 
selves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy 
Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of 



140 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

God, which he hath purchased with his own blood/ ' 
Acts 20:28. "Now ye are the body of Christ, and 
members in particular, and God hath set some in the 
church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly 
teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, 
helps, governments, diversities of tongues." 1 Cor. 
12:27, 28. "But now hath God set the members 
every one. of them in the body, as it hath pleased 
him." 1 Cor. 12:18. 

With this as with all other subjects of this work we 
must be brief. 

WHO RECEIVES APPLICANTS INTO THIS CHURCH? 

"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye 
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean 
thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father 
unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, 
saith the Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. 6:17, 18. "But 
now hath God set the members every one of them 
in the body as it hath pleased him. ' ' 1 Cor. 12 : 18. 
"And the Lord added to the church daily such as 
should be saved." Acts 2:47. "For by one Spirit 
are we all baptized into one body, whether we be 
Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and 
have been all made to drink into one Spirit." 1 Cor. 
12:13. 

By these texts we can plainly see that it is God 
by the Spirit that receives members into his church, 
therefore no sinner can enter there. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 141 

WHAT IS THE DOOR? 

* ' I am the door : by me if any man enter in he shall 
be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture." 
John 10:9. "I am the door of the sheep." ver. 7. 
"For through him [Jesus] we both have access by one 
Spirit unto the Father." Eph. 2:18. 

Jesus is the only entrance into the church of God. 
He that would climb up some other way is a thief 
and a robber. John 10 : 1. We could get into a human 
organized body without coming in through Christ, 
but not into the divinely organized body. 

"He that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shut- 
teth, and no man openeth ; . . . behold, I have set 
before thee an open door, and no man can shut it." 
Rev. 3 : 7, 8. 

WHO IS THE BUILDER OF THE CHURCH ? 

Abraham "looked for a city, . . . whose builder 
and maker is God. ' ' Heb. 11 : 10. Like many other 
holy men who walked with God in those ancient 
days, Abraham looked by faith to the promise that 
was to come to bring deliverance to the captives. 
Christ says, "Upon this rock I will build my church, 
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." 
Mat. 16 : 18. "Every house is builded by some man; 
but he that built all things is God. ' ' Heb. 3:3, 4. 

Jesus purchased the church with his own blood. 
Acts 20 : 28. He gave his life for it. Eph. 5 : 25. Go4, 



142 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

or Christ, who was God manifested in the flesh, built 
himself a glorious and pure church— holy, blameless, 
and spotless. It is all his own. He bestows upon it 
the fond title of Bride: "He that hath the bride is 
the bridegroom. ' ' John 3 : 29. 

"For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy: 
for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may 
present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. ' ' 2 Cor. 11 : 2. 
Paul addresses this letter to the church of God at 
Corinth. 2 Cor. 1:1. He presents this church as a 
chaste virgin to her one husband, even Christ. 

John in conversation with an angel from heaven 
was bid to "come hither," and he would be shown 
the bride the Lamb 's wife ; and behold he was shown 
that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of 
heaven from God, having the glory of God: and her 
light was like unto a stone most precious, even like 
a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Rev. 21 : 9-11. This 
is beautiful descriptive language. This holy city 
Jerusalem, clear as crystal, is 

The pure and holy virgin bride, 

The spotless church for which Christ died. 

"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine: he 
feedeth among the lilies. ' ' S. of Sol. 6: 3. 

THE FOUNDATION OF THE CHURCH. 

"For other foundation can no man lay than that 
is laid, which is Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 3: 11. "And 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 143 

are built upon the foundation of the apostles and 
prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner- 
stone." Eph. 2:20. 

A quotation here from the Old Testament will only 
add strength and beauty to this subject: "Therefore 
thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I lay in Zion for a 
foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner- 
stone, a sure foundation." Isa. 28:16. 

God here gives promise of establishing Zion— the 
church— upon a sure foundation; namely, Christ in 
the great salvation day. 

THE KINGDOM OP GOD. 

Frequent reference is made throughout the New 
Testament to the "kingdom of God" and the "king- 
dom of heaven." When the "God which is in heaven" 
was ' ' revealing the deep and secret things ' ' unto Daniel 
concerning Nebuchadnezzar's dream, he also revealed 
unto him that in the days of those kings he would set 
up a kingdom which should never be destroyed, 
consequently would stand forever. Dan. 2 : 44. 

When John, the swift herald of the gospel day, 
came preaching, he said: "Repent ye: for the king- 
dom of heaven is at hand. ' ' Mat. 3 : 2. The first 
words in the ministry of the Son of God were, "Re- 
pent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. "Mat. 
4 : 17. The kingdom which Daniel saw was to be set 
up. Great was the speculation throughout Jewry 
concerning the kingdom of God in John 's days. They 



144 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

were expecting a kingdom to excel in temporal pomp 
and glory the grandeur of the kingdom of the Caesars. 
The Savior in conversation with some Pharisees on 
one occasion astonished them by saying, "The king- 
dom of God cometh not with observation : neither shall 
they say, Lo here ! or, lo there ! for, behold, the king- 
dom of God is within yon." Luke 17: 20, 21. 

Jesus one night explained to a ruler of the Jews 
how to enter this kingdom. He said, "Except a man 
be born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter 
into the kingdom of God." John 3 : 5. Again he says, 
"Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, 
and become as little children, ye shall not enter into 
the kingdom of heaven." Mat. 18:3. The inspired 
apostle in Rom. 14 : 17 explains the nature of this king- 
dom: "For the kingdom of God is not meat and 
drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the 
Holy Ghost. ' ' In the process of the mysterious birth 
of the Spirit the soul experiences a translation from 
a "power of darkness" into the kingdom of God's 
dear Son. Col. 1 : 13. 

It certainly must have dawned upon your under- 
standing ere this that the church of God and the 
kingdom of heaven are the same spiritual structure. 
In the twelfth chapter of Hebrews several terms are 
used to denote the church of God. In the twenty- 
second verse it is designated by "mount Zion," the 
"city of the living God," the "heavenly Jerusalem," 
and an "innumerable company of angels." In verse 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 145 

twenty-three it is denominated "general assembly," 
"the church of the first-born, etc. In the twenty- 
eighth verse it is called the "kingdom." By this we 
are made to understand that the church built by 
the Lord is identical with the "city of God," the 
"kingdom of God," the "heavenly Jerusalem," etc. 
With this understanding we will better comprehend 
the meaning of many other texts. 

THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH. 

"For the husband is the head of the wife, even as 
Christ is the head of the church : and he is the savior 
of the body. ' ' Eph. 5 : 23. " And he is the head of the 
body, the church." Col. 1:18. "But speaking the 
truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, 
which is the head, even Christ. ' ' Eph. 4 : 15. See 
also Eph. 1 : 22 ; Col. 2 : 18, 19. 

Christ is the head of his church, and as such he 
is the sole governor, or legislator. "He that hath 
ears to hear, let him hear." 

RECAPITULATION IN CONCLUSION. 

The church is the body of Christ. Eph. 1 : 21, 22. 
There is but one body. Rom. 12 : 4, 5 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 17. 
Christians are this one body. 1 Cor. 12 : 27. They 
are of one heart and soul. Acts 4 : 32. There are 
no divisions. 1 Cor. 1 : 10. Christ is the head of 
this church. Col. 1 : 18. He is the door. John 10 : 7. 
He is the foundation. Eph. 2 : 21. He sets the members 



146 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

in the body (1 Cor. 12: 18), and prays that they be 
kept in his name. John 17 : 11. 

OFFICERS IN THE CHURCH OF GOD. 

God sets the members in the body of Christ, which 
is the church, as seemeth best according to his un- 
bounded wisdom. All are not an eye or ear or hand 
or foot. That the church of God may be complete as 
a body it has all the different members. Christ is 
the head, and the saved men and women are the other 
members of the body according to their calling, all 
governed by the head and consecrated to do his will. 
The ministry are the feet, the burden-bearers, the 
servants of all. They have the care or burden of the 
church. They carry the glad tidings of salvation. 
They are not to be carried about and served, but they 
are the servants. "How beautiful are the feet of 
them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad 
tidings of good things. ' ' Eom. 10 : 15. 

The following officers are mentioned in the New 
Testament: apostles, prophets, evangelists, bishops, 
pastors, teachers, deacons, elders, and presbyters. 
Apostle is from the Greek "apostolos," which is one 
sent forth to plant. Paul was an apostle. He was sent 
forth by the Holy Spirit. Acts 13 : 4. He was sent 
forth to plant. 1 Cor. 3:6. Prophet is from the 
Greek "propketes," which is one who is an expounder 
of prophecies and revelations and of future events. 
Agabus was a prophet, a teller of future events. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 147 

See Acts 21 : 10, 11 and Acts 11 : 28. Philip the evan- 
gelist had four daughters who did prophesy, or ex- 
pound or explain the Scriptures. An evangelist is 
one who announces good tidings, while an apostle is 
one who plants churches or goes into new localities, 
and through whose preaching people are saved and a 
church thus* planted. The mission of an evangelist 
is to visit those planted churches and water them. 
"I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the 
increase. ' ' 1 Cor. 3 : 6. 

Bishop is from the Greek " episkopos," and means 
a superintendent or overseer. Pastor is from the 
Greek "poimen," and means shepherd or feeder or 
overseer, the same as bishop ; consequently bishop 
and pastor are the same, an overseer or shepherd. 
The word "overseer" occurs but once in the New 
Testament: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, 
and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost 
hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God." 
Acts 20 : 28. Overseer in this text is translated from 
the Greek "episkopos," from which same Greek word 
we have the word bishop. Paul was then addressing- 
bishops, and tells them to feed the church of God. 
Now a pastor is a feeder; therefore bishop and pastor 
are two words used to denote the same office. To note 
the qualifications of a bishop or pastor as set forth in 
the New Testament will doubtless be edifying to the 
reader. 



148 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

WHAT A BISHOP MUST BE. 

A bishop must be blameless, the husband of one 
wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospi- 
tality, apt to teach ; patient, ruling well his own house, 
a lover of good men, just, holy, temperate, etc. See 
1 Tim. 3 : 2-4 ; Titus .1 : 7, 8. 

Blameless. This word is synonymous with spotless, 
faultless, irreproachable. A person or thing is blame- 
less when it is free from fault. 

The husband of one wife. No one can meet the 
New Testament requirements for bishop or pastor 
who has two wives, though one be divorced. 

Vigilant. He must be so watchful as to early 
discover danger of any kind and use the utmost 
precaution to avoid it. 

Sober. This word is not applied only to freedom 
from intoxication by spirituous liquors, but is synony- 
mous with calmness, quietness, grave, sedate, steady, 
serious, solemn, etc. The Greek "sophron" for sober 
in these texts means sound mindedness. 

Of good behavior. Their conduct must be free 
from levity, folly, or anything that tends to degrade 
morals. 

Given to hospitality. (Lover of hospitality. Titus 
1:8.) He must love in his heart to receive and enter- 
tain strangers without remuneration, to be kind and 
pleasing in his manners. 

Apt to teach. He must possess a talent or God- 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 149 

given ability to teach the Word to others in a simple 
manner. 

Patient. He must be free from ill passion and 
irritableness. He must be calm, and possess a tran- 
quility and evenness of life. His composure and holy 
tranquilness is such that commands and quiets all 
strife, contentions and heated discussions. 

Ruling well his own house. Unless a man has suf- 
ficient wisdom, authority, love and firmness, to govern 
and control his own children he certainly can not be 
used of God to oversee the church of God. 

Lover of good men. His very heart and soul must 
admire and appreciate and love the good he sees in 
men. 

Just. In his admonitions, corrections and reprov- 
ings, he is always just and impartial. 

Holy. His heart and life and affections must be 
pure and holy, free from sin. 

Temperate. There are many things from which 
we are commanded by the Scriptures to abstain. 
In the use of all things God has given for use he 
must not be excessive. He must not be excessive in 
eating, drinking, sleeping, working, talking, sexual 
relation, etc. 

WHAT A BISHOP OR ELDER MUST NOT BE. 

A bishop must not be given to wine, no striker, 
not greedy of filthy lucre, not a brawler, not covetous, 
not a novice, not self-willed, not soon angry. See 
1 Tim. 3:3-6; Titus 1 : 7. 



150 



Must not be given to wine. Not a wine drinker. 
He is to be an example and abstain from all appear- 
ance of evil. 

No striker. A good translation from the Greek 
would render this reviler. He must not strike back 
with the tongue; in other words, not contentious. 

Not greedy of filthy lucre. When man becomes 
greedy of filthy lucre — loves money — he can be in- 
fluenced by it and thus be led to favor the rich. 

Not a brawler. This is synonymous with wrangler 
or contender. 

Not Covetous. Covetousness includes more than 
the love of money. Fame, honor, worldly pleasures, 
gratification of unholy appetites and passions, may be 
properly termed covetousness. To entertain for any- 
thing an affection that is not a pure and godly 
affection is idolatry, and idolatry is covetousness. 

Not a novice. One newly converted. 

Not self-willed. Not obstinate in contending for 
his views or desires in opposition to others. 

Not soon angry. Soon is not found in the original. 
A more proper rendering would be, Not passionate. 

DEACON. 

Deacon is translated from "diakonos," meaning 
minister. By reading the writings of those contem- 
porary with the apostle and those immediately follow- 
ing we learn that a bishop or elder is the overseer or 
pastor of the flock, or the one upon whom the greatest 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 151 

responsibilities lie, while the deacons are helpers. 
This doubtless is what is meant by " helps" in 1 Cor. 
12 : 28. There was always at least one bishop in one 
congregation, but often more than one deacon. The 
qualifications for a deacon are very similar to those of 
a-bishop. See 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1. 

ELDERS OR PRESBYTERS. 

Webster in defining presbyter, says, "An elder in 
the early Christian church. ' ' Young in his analytical 
concordance says of presbytery, ' ' An assembly of eld- 
ers." These two terms have the same Greek origin, 
"presenter os." An elder is one grounded in the faith 
with a sound matured judgment; one capable of giv- 
ing good advice or counsel. An elder is not necessarily 
a preacher, but one calculated to advise and give 
counsel in his pastoral duties. They also are especi- 
ally called of God to aniont and pray for the sick. 

These church officers are all called of God. See Gal. 
1 : 15,16. They are commissioned by Christ. Mat. 28 : 
19. Sent by the Holy Spirit. Acts 13 : 3, 4. They are 
qualified by God. 2 Cor. 3:5, 6. They are ambassa- 
dors from the kingdom of heaven with a heavenly 
message to this lost world. God help them every one 
to faithfully declare it in the fear of him who has 
called them. 



152 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

CHAPTER VIII. 
THE ORDINANCES OF THE NEW TESTAMENT. 



In the preceding chapter we considered the church 
of the New Testament. The Lord Jesus built his 
church and instituted some ordinances, which he com- 
mands the church to faithfully keep. The keeping of 
the commandments of God is proof that we love him : 
"For this is the love of God that we keep his com- 
mandments: and his commandments are not griev- 
ous." 1 John 5:3. "He that hath my command- 
ments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me." 
John 14 : 21. ' * If a man love me he will keep my 
words." ver. 23. "He that loveth me not keepeth 
not my sayings." ver. 24. 

We may profess great attainments in the divine life 
and wonderful devotion to God, but the proof is 
obedience to his commands. We have learned of peo- 
ple who have become so holy that they were raised a- 
bove or passed beyond a great portion of the Bible 
and are not required to keep it. We have heard of 
but few things so ridiculously foolish. The better 
and more holy we become, certainly the more of the 
Word of God we will practise in our life; and who 
on earth can live a more perfect Christian life than 
he who lives in obedience to every word of the Bible? 
When one gets in possession of something that ex- 
empts him from obedience to the Scriptures he gets 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 153 

in possession of some very mysterious thing. The only 
way to heaven is by the commandments of the Bible. 
"Blessed are they that do his commandments, that, 
they may have a right to the tree of life and enter in 
through the gates into the city. ' ' 

We will consider some ordinances and ceremonies 
which belong to the church of God as recorded inthe 
New Testament so plainly that a wayfaring man 
though a fool need not err therein. 

BAPTISM. 

' ' There was a man sent from God, whose name was 
John. ' ' John 1:6. In the thirty-third verse this 
same John declares that God sent him to baptize with 
water. Of the books written on this subject there is 
scarcely an end. The controversy is very great, and 
so often very ridiculous. Lexicographers have defined 
and analyzed the word baptize in its different 
forms. Liddell and Scott, Robertson, Parkhurst, 
Scapula, Stokins, Calvin, Luther, Campbell, Gill, 
Stuart, Vitringa, Brenner, Paulus, and many others 
of great erudition have denned the word, and to sum 
them all up we find the primary meaning is "to dip, 
to immerse, to plunge in water." Many of the Eng- 
lish translators of the New Testament always ren- 
der baptizo, immerse or dip, as "John the immerser,- 
or ' ' John the dipper. ' ' 

This brief reference to the expositions of the learned 
must suffice for this work. It is with pleasure we 



154 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

resort to the plain and simple teachings of the Scrip- 
tures. 

BAPTISM A NEW TESTAMENT ORDINANCE. 

All Jerusalem, and Judea, and the region about 
Jordan, were baptized of John in Jordan. Mat. 3 : 5, 6. 
Jesus baptized by proxy. John 4:1, 2. He commis- 
sioned his ministry to preach baptism unto all the 
world. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, bap- 
tizing them in the name of the Father, and of the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Mat. 28: 19. "Go ye 
into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved. " Mark 16 : 15, 16. Those who have undertaken 
the dangerous and Christ uncommissioned task of 
freeing Christians from the obligations of this ordin- 
ance, hold high aloft the following texts : Eph. 2 : 15 ; 
Col. 2 : 14, 15 ; Col. 2 : 20. Since the Savior's commis- 
sion to his disciples was forty days after his resurrec- 
tion, such teachers are driven from this position, and to 
substantiate their doctrine they flee to a more fatally 
exposed one when saying that the baptism of this com- 
mission was the baptism of the Spirit. It is a pity 
that precious time must be taken for the- correction of 
such erroneous teaching. How can men baptize with 
the Holy Spirit? God alone can do that. 

It is evident that the apostles understood this bap- 
tism to be with water, since they taught it and prac- 
tised it throughout their ministry. We shall take 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 155 

time and space to refer to but two or three instances 
of the administration of this ordinance recorded in the 
Acts of the Apostles. The first is that of a Christ com- 
missioned preacher by the name of Philip, who was 
sent by an angel to preach the gospel to a Scrip- 
turally ignorant man of Ethiopia. Unlearned as he 
was, he readily understood from the preaching of 
Philip the importance of water baptism; therefore 
when they came to a certain water he said, ' ' See here 
is water ; what doth hinder me to be baptized ? ' ' Acts 
8 : 36. By reading the following verses you will learn 
that this man was baptized in water and God wit- 
nessed to his approval by sending him rejoicing on his 
way. Obedience to the commands of God brings a 
joy to the Christian heart. 

The second instance of baptism to which we wish 
to invite your attention is that of the devout Cornelius. 
He sent for Peter to learn more concerning the ways 
of the Lord. Peter came and told them of Jesus, of his 
resurrection and his power to save. As he spoke the 
Holy Ghost fell upon all them which heard his words. 
Then said Peter, Can any man forbid water that these 
should not be baptized which have received the Holy 
Ghost as well as we ? And he commanded them to be 
baptized in the name of the Lord. How can an instance 
of water baptism be more plainly recorded? This 
occurred some eight years after the crucifixion of the 
Lord Jesus. To teach the abolition of this ordinance 
at the cross, in the face of these plainly stated in- 



156 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

stances of baptism, only proves to us the blinding 
and deceptive power of the spirit of error. 

MODE OP BAPTISM. 

Many of the professed teachers of the gospel have 
become very liberal. "We all have a right to our 
opinion," so many say; and "a thing becomes right 
unto us if we believe it to be right." Because of this 
teaching and the varied opinions, there have origi- 
nated in the minds of the people several different 
modes of baptism. But this great liberality finds no 
warrant in the Word of God. The Scriptures teach 
that ' ' there is one body. ' ' Eph. 4:4. If I should hold 
in opinion, as many do hold, that there are many 
bodies, would my opinion prove the Word of God to 
be in error? Let me say here, with emphasis, that 
there can be but one true, rightful body. If the 
Catholic body should be the right body, it is the only 
body upon the earth that is right. If the Presbyterian 
body is the right and true body, it is the only body. 
And so with any other denominational body. If we 
were a member of the Methodist body we would have 
to believe that that was the one true body and that 
all the others were wrong. If there be but one body, 
how can two bodies be that one body when those two 
bodies are different? 

There is but one Holy Spirit, one true Lord, one 
gospel faith, and one true mode of baptism. God has 
not left us to follow our own peculiar fancies, but all 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 157 

must go the same way. Whatever is required of one 
individual, that same thing is required of every other 
individual. If sprinkling is a right mode of baptism 
it is the only right mode, and all others are wrong. If 
pouring is right it is the only mode that is right. If 
three dips, face forward is right it is the only mode 
that is right. If one single immersion is right it is 
the only mode that is right. The Lord did not set 
the example in all these different ways. He was bap- 
tized. He also baptized by proxy, and we believe that 
he thus baptized in the same manner he was baptized. 
This one mode was all they understood by baptism. 
The apostles perhaps had seen the Lord baptized, they 
administered baptism under his direction, and when 
he commissioned them with the authority to admin- 
ister baptism after he had ascended to the Father, they 
did not question him as to which mode. The word 
baptism meant but one thing and the same thing unto 
them all. In the after years of their ministry they 
practised just what they had seen their Lord practise. 
Now let us learn from the plain, easy language 
of the Scripture the mode as administered by John, 
the Lord and the apostles. In the third chapter of 
Matthew the inspired writer has given an account of 
John's baptism, which we kindly invite you to read. 
Now the way to correctly understand the Scripture 
is to take it in its easiest, plainest, most sensible way. 
Do not attempt to give it some complicated, myste- 
rious meaning, but receive it as you would any easily 



158 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

understood historical fact of this present time. If you 
should read in your county paper of a man down by 
one of the rivers of your adjoining county who was 
administering baptism to the people, and the whole 
neighborhood round about went out to him and were 
baptized of him in the river, and when he had bap- 
tized a certain individual he went up straightway out 
of the water, what idea would you form as to the mode 
of the baptism ? Would you think it was a little water 
sprinkled on the head somewhere in a meeting-house ? 
There is nothing- in the account to convey such an 
idea. How unreasonable it would be for you to study 
to change the meaning of the plain account and mys- 
tify it because it was not congenial to your desires. 

Suppose you should read in your paper of two men 
traveling along the way. One of them had never 
heard of Jesus nor of the ordinance of baptism; the 
other talked to him of the Savior, of his death and 
his resurrection, and how he had authorized him to go 
into all the world and preach this gospel to every 
creature, and he that believed and was baptized, the 
same should be saved. And as they traveled on their 
way they came to a certain water, and the one said to 
the other, "See here is water, what doth hinder me 
to be baptized ? ' ' The other replied, ' ' If thou believ- 
est with all thine heart thou mayest. " He answered, 
' ' I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. ' ' Then 
they stopped their carriage and they went down both 
into the water and there the one was baptized of the 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 159 

other, and when they came up out of the water the 
one went one way and the other another way, and 
they saw each other no more. What idea would you 
form as to the mode of baptism? This is all very 
plain to the candid heart. 

The other instances of baptism recorded in the New 
Testament do not express so clearly the mode as the 
two we have given, yet they can not with propriety 
be made to express anything contrary to immersion. 
The apostle Paul in his letter to the Roman brethren 
speaks of baptism as a burial. Rom. 6 : 4. This only 
confirms in our mind (concerning the mode) the 
ideas suggested by the baptism of the Savior and of 
the man of Ethiopia. For yet greater clearness we 
will present a few thoughts suggested to us by the re- 
cent writings of a brother, which we consider very 
conclusive. 

A word, perfectly synonymous with another word 
can be used in its stead with the same correctness of 
diction. As, for example, "The snow is slowly de- 
scending from the dark cloud." To use a word syn- 
onymous with "descending" in the above sentence 
it must express the same thought and present the same 
elegance of style. We find such a synonym in the 
word ' ' falling. " " The snow is slowly falling from the 
dark cloud." The idea expressed by these two sen- 
tences is precisely the same, and both are good gram- 
mar. Let us now read Rom. 6:4: ' * Therefore we are 
buried with him by baptism intodeath." Tofindaword 



160 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

synonymous with baptism it will not deprive the word 
"burial" of its proper meaning. Try the word 
"sprinkle." "Therefore we are buried with him by 
sprinkling into death." Please read Mat. 3:5, 6; 
Mark 1:9; John 3 : 2, 3, and use the word sprinkle 
or pour where the word baptize is used, and note the 
great absurdity. Why is so much time spent in dis- 
cussion over declarations so simple, clear and plain? 
Because of the perversion of plain language by the 
spirit of error to a self -conceited mind. 

TRINE IMMERSION. 

There is a religious class of people that teach and 
practise three immersions; one in the name of the 
Father, one in the name of the Son, and one in the 
name of the Holy Ghost. Such teaching is based upon 
the construction of Mat. 28 : 19. Only a little un- 
prejudiced consideration will enable you to see the 
fallacy of such an interpretation. These three are 
one. If they were separate and distinct so we could 
act in the name of the one to the exclusion of the 
others then we could better understand such an in- 
terpretation of the above text. The apostles well 
understood that to act in the name of one was to 
act in the name of the whole trinity ; therefore Peter 
says, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in 
the name of Jesus Christ. ' ' Acts 2 : 38. Why did not 
Peter use the formula of Mat. 28 : 19 ? Because to act 
in the name of one is to act in the name of all. ' ' And 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 161 

he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the 
Lord. ' ' Acts 10 : 48. " They were baptized in the name 
of the Lord Jesus." Acts 8: 16. "When they heard 
this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord 
Jesus. ' ' Acts 19 : 5. 

Nowhere in the Acts of the Apostles is the triune 
name used in baptism. Pages could be written show- 
ing the absurdity of the teachings of trine immersion- 
ists, but we consider that what has been written is 
clear enough to convince candid, unbiased minds, and 
any amount of argument will not convince those who 
defiantly set themselves against any reasonings con- 
trary to their established notions. 

THE OBJECT OP BAPTISM. 

There is a baptism taught in the Scriptures that is 
not water baptism. There is a baptism of the Spirit. 
See 1 Cor. 12 : 13 ; Mat. 3 : 11. Some not being able to 
rightly divide the Word of God have taken some texts 
that teach the baptism of the Spirit to be the baptism 
of water, and thus confused the true object of water 
baptism. We will frankly admit that there are some 
texts which if taken alone and interpreted literally 
do apparently teach that baptism is a saving ordi- 
nance. We will refer the reader to a few of these 
texts. Mark 16 : 16 ; Acts 2 : 38 ; Acts 22 : 16. These 
texts seem to plainly teach that water baptism does 
wash away or remit sins. I always prefer to give 
each text the simplest, plainest rendering when it 



162 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

does not conflict with some other text. Now to teach 
that baptism by water is a saving ordinance, and so 
interpret these texts, we place ourselves in direct 
opposition to other plain teaching. Some do teach 
that there is none righteous and base such teaching 
upon Rom. 3 : 10. We would ask such teachers to 
interpret Titus 2 : 12 ; 1 John 3 : 7, 10 ; 1 John 2 : 29 ; 
Luke 1 : 75. By such texts they are brought to con- 
fusion. 

Elsewhere in this work we quote the scriptures 
teaching salvation from sin to be by the grace of God. 
Then to teach that water baptism saves us from sin 
makes the Word of God contradict itself. All is beau- 
teous harmony in the Scriptures when all is correctly 
interpreted. Water baptism represents a burial. A 
burial must of course be preceded by death. We die 
or separate ourselves from a life of sin and accept 
Christ ; he accepts us. The real death to, and destruc- 
tion of sin and resurrection to life is performed by the 
power of God's grace, while baptism expresses in a 
figure the burial and resurrection to spiritual life. 
This is the true object of baptism. 

PROPER APPLICANTS FOR BAPTISM. 

Water baptism is the answer of a good conscience 
toward God. 1 Pet. 3 : 19-21. We must obtain a good 
or "undefiled conscience" before we are a Scriptural 
candidate for baptism. How can defilement be purged 
from the conscience ? By the blood of Jesus. Heb. 9 : 
14. We are taught in Mat. 3 : 8 that we must bear 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 163 

fruits of repentance to be worthy applicants for bap- 
tism. The man of Ethiopia was asked to profess faith 
in Christ before Philip considered him to be a proper 
subject for baptism. 

Infants can not profess faith in Christ, therefore 
their baptism is unscriptural. We are aware that 
there are many who teach ' ' infant baptism, ' ' and use 
a few texts of Scripture and by their misapplication 
make it look as plausible as possible. The commission 
of the Lord to his ministry is to "preach the gospel 
to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved." Faith precedes baptism in the com- 
mission. Infants have not faith. Peter says, "Re- 
pent and be baptized. ' ' Acts 2 : 38. Repentance, 
therefore, precedes baptism. John understood it 
thus. Mat. 3 : 8. Infants need no repentance. There 
is not a case recorded in the New Testament of infant 
baptism. After one has reached the years of accounta- 
bility and repents of his sins and is born of the Spir- 
it he is then, and not until then, a proper candidate 
for baptism. 

THE LORD'S SUPPER. 

In the teachings of the holy inspired and unblamed 
apostle Paul, the expression, "The Lord's Supper" 
is to be found. In reproving the Corinthians for 
corrupting the sacred communion service, he says, 
"When ye come together therefore into one place, 
this is not to eat the Lord's supper." 1 Cor. 11:20. 
In the preceding chapter he uses the word communion 



164 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

when speaking of the same divinely originated or- 
dinance. "The cup of blessing which we bless, is it 
not the communion of the blood of Christ? The 
bread which we break, is it not the communion of the 
body of Christ?" 1 Cor. 10:16. 

The apostle in these texts is referring to an ordi- 
nance of the New Testament instituted by the blessed 
Savior just prior to his passion as recorded by the 
writers of the gospels and observed by the church 
when it was the light of the world. If this sacred and 
very impressive ordinance was abolished at the death 
of the Savior, as some erroneously teach, why does 
Paul more than a score of years after exhort Chris- 
tians to its observance and warn them so faithfully 
against corrupting so sacred a rite, telling them that 
if they eat and drink unworthily they eat and drink 
damnation to themselves, and admonishing them to 
examine themselves and so let them eat? 1 Cor. 11. 
It must be clear to all unclouded, candid minds by the 
reading of this chapter that there was an ordinance 
solemnly observed by the Christians long after the 
Savior was "nailed to the cross." In very plain and 
positive language he tells us that the communion or 
Lord's Supper is a New Testament ordinance: "This 
cup is the New Testament in my blood." 1 Cor. 11: 
25. This is corroborative of Mat. 26:28: "For this 
is my blood" of the new testament;" and of Mark 
14 : 24 : " And he said unto them, This is my blood 
of the new testament, which is shed for many. ' ' Also 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 165 

of Luke 22: 20: "Likewise also the cup after supper, 
saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, 
which is shed for you." 

To one enjoying the full light of the precious gos- 
pel to teach the abolition of this solemn ordinance 
appears the very height of folly and ignorance. In 
the recording of the Acts of the apostles it is said that 
"upon the first day of the week, when the disciples 
came together to break bread, Paul preached unto 
them." Acts 20:7. The breaking of bread as here 
spoken of signifies nothing else but the observance of 
the Lord's Supper. 

The few plain, comprehensive texts of apostolic 
teaching we have quoted upon this subject must make 
obvious to the mind of the reader that Christians of 
the morning time of this gospel day observed an 
ordinance termed the Lord's Supper or communion, 
done in remembrance of Jesus and showing his death 
till he come. We will learn in the noontime's awful 
darkness how the blinded minds and unregenerated 
hearts of teachers by misunderstanding and misapply- 
ing these plain texts caused their clear light to cease 
to shine. 

THE HOLY KISS. 

True love manifests itself in many ways. We em- 
brace with the arms, we greet with a kiss, the object 
of our love. We speak of these love tokens ofttimes 
in a spiritual way: "Folded in the arms of Jesus ;" 



166 



"Leaning on his breast;" "Sheltered beneath his 
wing." "The Psalmist says, "Kiss the Son, lest he 
be angry. ' ' Psa. 2 : 12. These were literally practised 
by the Savior and his beloved followers while he was 
here. After Jesus arose and went to" the Father the 
apostles practised the holy kiss. "They all wept 
sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him." Acts 
20 : 37. We behold the love they bore for him. It 
was not a cold kiss of formality, but of love. In the 
first verse we see the love Paul had for the disciples: 
"Paul called unto him the disciples and embraced 
them." 

In the epistolary law of the New Testament the 
holy kiss is five times commanded. "Salute one 
another with a holy kiss. ' ' Rom. 16 : 16. Greet ye one 
another with a holy kiss. ' ' 1 Cor. 16 : 20. " Greet one 
another with a holy kiss. ' ' 2 Cor. 13 : 12. Greet all 
the brethren with a holy kiss. ' ' 1 Thes. 5 : 26. 
"Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity." 1 Pet. 
5:14. 

Satan ever ready to corrupt the pure precepts and 
practises of the sacred Word has led people into 
the disgraceful fanaticism of promiscuous kissing. 
Such is not a kiss of love, but a kiss of lust. Every- 
thing done in the order of the kingdom of heaven is 
done in the perfection of decency and respectability. 
How natural for the fond husband to embrace and 
kiss the beloved wife, and the devoted mother her 
child, the brother his sister, all because love exists con- 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 167 

sistent with natural relation. But the strongest tie 
of love that binds hearts together is the Christian love. 
Then how natural and becoming for the Christian to 
greet with a kiss his brother, and the Christian sister 
her sister in the Lord. 

Christian love continued after the apostles' days 
were ended, and consequently the practise of greeting 
with a holy kiss. We will conclude this subject by re- 
ferring the reader to history as quoted in ' ' Ordinances 
of the New Testament ' ' : ' ' The fraternal kiss used on 
admission to the church and at the Lord's Supper 
were not empty forms, but the expression of a true 
feeling, and of a real experience."— Butler's Ecclesi- 
astical History, p. 132. 

' ! After the prayers . . .we greet one another with 
the brotherly kiss. "— Justin Martyr, p. 146. 

' ' The communion was a regular part of the Sunday 
worship. In many places it was celebrated daily. It 
began after the dismissal of the catechumens, by the 
kiss of peace given by men to men and women to 
women, "—p. 147. 

It is natural for Christians filled with the love of 
God to greet each other with a kiss, but the cold dis- 
tant forms of men have prevented Christians follow- 
ing the natural inclination of the heart. 



168 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

LIFTING UP OF HOLY HANDS. 

In the olden time when the chosen children of God 
were battling in the wilderness against their enemies, 
as long as the hands of Moses were kept uplifted Israel 
prevailed, and when his hands were let down the ene- 
my triumphed. Ex. 17:8-12. See also Psa. 28:2; 
63 : 4 ; 88 : 9 ; Lam. 3 : 41. This signal act of triumph is 
conveyed into the spirit of the New Testament. Paul 
says, "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, 
lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting.' ' 
1 Tim. 2 : 8. This is a single text of the New Testa- 
ment teaching this ordinance. In connection with 
this text some have used Heb. 12 : 12 ; but to our mind 
it is only an exhortation to encourage the feeble and 
faint-hearted, and not an express command to the 
literally raising of the hands. However the one text 
quoted is sufficient for those who love the Lord, for 
those who love him keep his commandments. 

This ceremony is suggestive of submissiveness and 
reliance upon God. It is natural for the Spirit-born 
child of God to imploringly lift his hands to God in 
petition or praise and thanksgiving. In the time when 
the spiritual battles wax hot we seek God in earnest 
imploring prayer, and the lifting up of our hands 
adds strength to our faith and draws God nearer. 
But, oh, let us make sure that our hands and hearts 
are holy. It is but mockery to spread forth your 
hands unto God when they are full of blood. From 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 169 

such the Lord hides his eyes, and closes his ears 
against their prayer. Isa. 1 : 15. 

FEET-WASHING. 

To the proud heart the commandment to "wash one 
another's feet" is perhaps the most ridiculous ever 
given by the Son of God. In the semi-theatrical 
church entertainments men may pay a large sum for 
the privilege of kissing the most handsome lady, and 
for similar or more shameful indulgences, but to hum- 
bly wash a brother's feet would be shocking in the 
extreme. " If a man love me he will keep my words. ' ' 
John 14: 23. Where true love exists there is no dis- 
position to spurn any of the Lord's commandments, 
however humiliating they may be. 

The ordinance of feet-washing was instituted by 
the Savior, and is recorded in the thirteenth chapter 
of John. One objection that many bring against this 
sacred ordinance is that it is so seldom mentioned in 
the Bible. If a man does not love God deeply enough 
to obey him when he speaks but once, he would not 
obey him should he speak a dozen times. Jesus says, 
' ' If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will 
they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." 
Luke 16 : 31. It is never difficult to persuade a hum- 
ble heart to believe the Word of God, though there be 
but one single commandment ; but the proud in heart 
will not be persuaded by any number if they are not 
according to their inclinations. About the first ob- 



170 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

jection offered against this humble ordinance is that 
it was a custom among the Jews to wash feet, and the 
feet-washing recorded by John was nothing more than 
the Jewish custom. There was more here than the 
mere custom of washing feet. 

We will carefully weigh this objection. Bathing is 
a custom, naturally so, for cleanliness and health, and 
is observed by people of every civilized nation, and 
has been in every age of the world. Pharaoh's daugh- 
ter went down to the river to bathe when she found 
the babe in the ark of bulrushes. Ex. 2 : 5. Bathing 
was not a custom of any particular nation, but a uni- 
versal custom. God separated Israel from the world 
to be his own chosen people. He gave them certain 
laws, which stood as a partition wall between them and 
the Gentile world. Among the many ceremonies was 
that of bathing. By reading the fifteenth chapter of 
Leviticus you will learn of the bathings required of 
the Jews for certain sins and uncleannesses. These 
bathings were peculiar to this people alone and served 
to separate them from other nations. They observed 
the universal custom of bathing, but these bathings 
were additional and given by the Lord. When Jesus 
came he abolished the Jewish ordinances that distin- 
guished them from the world and offers salvation to 
every nation. By his grace he separates his people 
from the world and institutes for them the ordinance 
of baptism. This is not the universal custom of bath- 
ing, neither is it the Jewish ceremony of bathings for 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 171 

cleansings, but a New Testament ordinance for saved 
people of this gospel day, representing their death 
to sin and consequent separation from the world. All 
continue in the custom of bathing, but the Christian 
is baptized. 

All people in every age are accustomed, if we may 
call it a custom, to eating; but when God separated 
Israel from Egypt and gave them a law, he instituted 
a supper called the Passover. This they kept in com- 
memoration of their deliverance from Egyptian bond- 
age. The Passover supper was not the mere custom of 
eating supper, but was an ordinance peculiar to the 
Jewish nation, and served to distinguish them as God's 
own chosen people. In Heb. 9 : 10 we learn that these 
meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal 
ordinances, were imposed on them until the time of 
reformation. When Jesus came he instituted a new 
order of things. The Passover supper was with the 
rest of the Jewish ordinances blotted out and nailed 
to the cross. Col. 2 : 14. Jesus instituted a supper 
to be kept in remembrance of him by his peculiar, 
exclusive people. This consists of bread, which rep- 
resents his body, and of wine, which represents his 
blood. This is not the custom of eating, neither is it 
the Jewish ordinance, but a newly instituted ordi- 
nance in this dispensation of grace. All continue the 
custom of eating, but Christians keep the communion. 

When Abraham was in the plains of Mamre he was 
visited by three angels, unto whom he said : ' ' Let a lit- 



172 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

tie water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, 
and rest yourselves under the tree. ' ' Gen. 18 : 4. Two 
angels came one evening to Sodom, and Lot rose up 
to meet them, and said : ' ' Behold now, my lords, turn 
in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry 
all night, and wash your feet. ' ' Gen. 19 : 1, 2. By 
these instances and others we understand that wash- 
ing feet was a custom in that time. It was not a law 
of God, but people of all nations observed it as a law 
of health, comfort, and cleanliness. 

In Ex. 30 : 19-21 and 40 : 30-32 we learn that God 
instituted an ordinance or ceremony of washing feet. 
This was not the mere custom of washing feet, but 
was a Jewish rite and served among other rites and 
ceremonies to distinguish them as God's own peculiar 
people. When the Son of God set up the kingdom of 
grace, this priestly ceremony was blotted out and a 
new ordinance of feet-washing was instituted. See 
John 13. This was not the ancient universal custom 
of washing feet. That still continues the same as eat- 
ing and bathing. It is not the Jewish ordinance, be- 
cause they were all nailed to the cross ; but it is a hum- 
ble ordinance the Savior instituted for his people 
saved from sin in this blessed gospel day. The Lord's 
people love this precious ordinance. Jesus set the ex- 
ample and intends his own to do as he did. "If I 
then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; 
ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I 
have given you an example, that ye should do as I 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 173 

have done to you. ' ' John 13 : 14, 15. Jesus set the 
example in baptism and intends for us to follow. 
Mat. 3 : 15, 16. He set the example in partaking of 
his newly instituted supper and intends for us to 
walk in his steps. 1 Cor. 11 : 25. 

Since the word ought is used some appear to re- 
joice in the thought that it is not obligatory. I, for 
one, ever since the Lord made me a Christian, have 
always been willing and glad to do just what I ought 
to do. We scarcely think a man loves God when he 
refuses to do what he knows he ought to do. "Ye 
ought to support the weak." Acts 20 : 35. "Men ought 
always to pray." Luke 18:1. "We ought also to 
love one another." 1 John 4:11. "Ye also ought to 
wash one another 's feet. ' ' John 13 : 14. Let us as 
professed followers of Jesus live and do what we ought 
to do. Happy are ye if you do, but what shall be the 
result if you refuse ? ' ' Therefore we ought to give the 
more earnest heed to the things which we have heard. ' ' 
Heb. 2 : 1. Will you do as you ought ? Because the 
widow did what she ought she was recommended to 
the care of the church. 1 Tim. 5 : 9, 10, 



174 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

CHAPTER IX. 
DIVINE HEALING. 



The thirty-fifth chapter of Isaiah is a prophecy 
beautifully extolling the glories and virtues of Christ's 
redemptive works. "The desert shall rejoice and 
blossom as the rose." "It shall blossom abundantly, 
and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of 
Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Car- 
mel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the Lord, 
and the excellency of our God. . . . Then the eyes of 
the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall 
be unstopped. Then shall the lame man leap as an 
hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing." 

In Isaiah sixty-one, is another prophecy of the Sa- 
vior: "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; be- 
cause the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tid- 
ings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the 
broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, 
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound ; 
to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. ' ' Isa. 61 : 
1, 2. Where this text is quoted in the New Testament, 
there is added, ' ' and recovering of sight to the blind. ' ' 
Luke 4 : 18. This addition is found in the LXX. 

Again the prophet speaking of Christ said, "But he 
was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised 
for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was 
upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." Isa. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 175 

53 : 5. The evangelist in speaking of the prophecy of 
Isa. 53 : 4, 5, says, ' ' When the even was come they 
brought unto him many that were possessed with 
devils : and he cast out the spirits with his word, and 
healed all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled 
which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Him- 
self took our infirmities, and . bare our sicknesses. ' ' 
Mat. 8 : 16, 17. In verse thirteen is recorded the heal- 
ing of the centurion's servant: "Go thy way, and as 
thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his 
servant was healed in the selfsame hour." When 
Jesus saw the mother of Peter's wife lying sick of a 
fever, he touched her hand and the fever left her, 
and she arose and ministered unto them. ver. 14, 15. 

In the ninth chapter of Matthew is recorded the 
instance of the healing of the man sick of the palsy, 
and of a woman who had been diseased for twelve 
years, and of the raising to life of the daughter of a 
certain ruler; also the restoring of the sight of two 
blind men. Jesus saith unto them, "Believe ye that I 
am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord. 
Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your 
faith be it unto you. And their eyes were opened." 
"And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, 
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gos- 
pel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and 
every disease among the people. ' ' ver. 35. 

John, when in prison, hearing of the works of Jesus, 
sent two of his disciples who asked the Savior, "Art 



176 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

thou he that should come, of do we look for another?" 
Now John was acquainted with the prophecy of Isaiah 
concerning the Christ, so Jesus said to the disciples, 
"Go and show John again those things which ye do 
hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the 
lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, 
the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel 
preached unto them. ' ' Jesus told them that he was do- 
ing just what was prophesied that Christ should do 
when he came, then this must certainly be he and 
we need not look for another. Throughout his min- 
istry the Savior continued to cast out devils and to 
heal the sick. He gave his twelve disciples power 
' ' against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal 
all manner of sickness and all manner of disease." 
Mat. 10 : 1. Not only did he give the twelve such pow- 
er over Satan and sickness, but in sending out the 
seventy he said: "And into whatsoever city ye en- 
ter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set 
before you: and heal the sick that are therein, and 
say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh 
unto you." Luke 10:8, 9. 

Before Jesus ascended to the Father he commis- 
sioned his disciples to preach the gospel, saying, "Go 
ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be 
saved ; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And 
these signs shall follow them that believe : In my name 
shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with ne^w 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 177 

tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they 
drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them ; they 
shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." 
Mark 16 : 15-18. Jesus was the "light of the world," 
because he had power over sin and disease. The 
church becomes a light in the world in proportion to 
her power and purity, and when she reaches the ze- 
nith of her power the same power is exercised by her 
as by the Lord himself. After commissioning the 
disciples to preach, Jesus was ' ' received up into heav- 
en, and sat on the right hand of God. And they went 
forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working 
with them, and confirming the word with signs fol- 
lowing. ' ' Mark 16 : 19, 20. Although Jesus had as- 
cended to heaven, yet it is said that he was working 
with them as they preached the word. Here was the 
secret of their power, "workers together with God." 
Again Jesus said, "Go ye therefore, and teach all 
nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, 
and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost : teaching them 
to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded 
you : and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end 
of the world." Mat. 28 : 19, 20. The Lord here gives 
promise to be with them unto the end. Although he 
ascended, yet he says, "I will not leave you comfort- 
less : I will come to you. ' ' John 14 : 18. The Holy 
Spirit on the day of Pentecost came and dwelt in the 
midst of God's church in the same authoritative pow- 
er over sin and demons that. Christ exercised before 

12 



178 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

his passion. He now comes in the power of the Holy 
Spirit, performing great deeds of wonder through 
his church. The church only was visible, therefore 
became the light of the world. After Pentecost the 
disciples did as Jesus commanded. They began to 
preach the gospel, and Jesus working with them, many 
souls were saved. Peter and John on one occasion 
"went up together into the temple at the hour of 
prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man 
lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they 
laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called 
Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into 
the temple; who seeing Peter and John about to go 
into the temple asked an alms. And Peter, fastening 
his eyes on him with John, said, Look on us. And 
he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive some- 
thing of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have 
I none; but such as I have give I thee: in the name 
of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And 
he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up; 
and immediately his feet and ankle bones received 
strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and 
entered with them into the temple, walking, and leap- 
ing, and praising God. And all the people saw him 
walking and praising God. ' ' Acts 3 : 1-9. This miracle 
of divine healing was done by faith in the name of 
Jesus, ver. 16. The Lord was with his disciples con- 
firming the' preaching with signs following. 

In the ninth chapter of Acts is recorded an instance 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 179 

of the dead being raised to life. Dorcas, who was a 
good woman, was taken sick and died. Two men were 
sent for Peter, who when he was come was brought 
into the upper chamber: "and all the widows stood 
by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments 
which Dorcas made while she was with them. But 
Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down and 
prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, 
arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw 
Peter she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and 
lifted her up : and when he had called the saints and 
the widows, presented her alive. And it was known 
throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the 
Lord." This was when the church was the light of 
the world; when the whole pure gospel was preached 
for the gospel's sake, and men lived humbly before 
God, and were workers together with him. 

Paul escaping the waves was cast upon the island 
of Melita. He says, ' • The barbarous people showed 
us no little kindness; for they kindled a fire, and re- 
ceived us every one, because of the present rain, and 
because of the , cold. " And when he had gathered a 
bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came 
a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 
And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast 
hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No 
doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath 
escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 
Acts 28 : 1-4. Now was the promise given in the com- 



180 THE GOSPEL DAT; OB, 

mission to prove true? Jesus said, "They shall take 
up serpents." Here Paul had taken one up. Should 
he trust in the promise of the Savior, or resort to some 
antidote? It is said, He shook off the beast into the 
fire and felt no harm. The natives were astonished 
and God was glorified. Had Paul sought and obtained 
relief by medical means, whatever brought the relief 
would have been worthy the praise. He was living 
solely for the glory of God, and by trusting in God 
and God protecting him it was thus that God was 
glorified. 

The "gifts of healing" were placed in the church. 
See 1 Cor. 12 : 28. As late as the year 60 A. D., twen- 
ty-seven years after the Lord had ascended, James 
tells us what to do when sick. He says, ' ' Is any among 
you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him 
sing psalms. Is any sick among you? let him call for 
the elders of the church; and let them pray over 
him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord : 
and the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the 
Lord shall raise him up ; and if he have committed 
sins, they shall be forgiven him. ' ' Jas. 5 : 13-15. 

Thus the Lord worked in the midst of his people 
in the morning of the gospel day. He gave them 
grace and power to live the same holy, humble life 
he lived. He gave them power to cast out devils and 
to heal the sick. By performing the works and liv- 
ing the life of Jesus the church was a city set upon 
a hill, which could not be hid— a light in the world. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 181 

CHAPTER X. 
THE SOUL. 



Man as we behold him is not all there is of man. 
He is a wonderful being. He stands in the highest 
order of God's creation. 

HE IS A COMPOUND. 

Man was created a physical and spiritual organ- 
ism. He possesses an animal and a spiritual life. 
Thus he is connected with two worlds. The physical 
creation is termed the "outward man," and the spir- 
itual, the ' ' inward man. " " For which cause we faint 
not; but though our outward man perish, yet the in- 
ward man is renewed day by day." 2 Cor. 4:16. 
"For we know that if our earthly house of this tab- 
ernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a 
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." 
2 Cor. 5: 1. "Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am 
in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in re- 
membrance. ' ' 2 Pet. 1 : 13. 

In the quotation from second Corinthians the pro- 
noun "we" is applied to the inward man, and the 
"earthly house of this tabernacle" is spoken in ref- 
erence to the outward man. In the quotation from 
second Peter the pronoun "I" has for its antecedent 
the ' ' inward man, ' ' and tabernacle refers again to the 
outward man. 



182 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

THE OUTWARD MAN IS DENOMINATED "BODY." 

In the fifth chapter of Mark's gospel there is re- 
corded an instance of a woman who was diseased and 
suffered many things of many physicians in the out- 
ward man. She came to Jesus and touched his gar- 
ment and she felt in her body she was healed of the 
plague. 

TE 

By the one text given above it is plainly to be seen 
that the outer man is the body. Many additional 
texts could be given but we consider it unnecessary, 
because all at once believe it. 

But why not as readily believe one text which calls 
the inner man the "soul"? Some will not. This is 
the inconsistency of man. We will quote more than 
one. "When my soul fainted within me I remem- 
bered the Lord." Jonah 2 : 7. "But his flesh upon him 
shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn. ' ' 
Job 14 : 22. "And the man of God said, Let her alone ; 
for her soul is vexed within her. ' ' 2 Kings 4 : 27. 

THE INNER MAN IS THE RESPONSIBLE MAN. 

"Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, 
or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give 
my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my 
body for the sin of my soul ? ' ' Micah 6 : 7. Since it 
is the soul that sins, of necessity the soul becomes the 
responsible man. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 183 

SIN PRODUCES DEATH TO THE SOUL. 

"The soul that sinneth, it shall die." Ezek. 18:4. 

THE VALUE OP THE SOUL. 

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the 
whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a 
man give in exchange for his soul ? ' ' Mat. 16 : 26. 
Here the "soul," the "inner man," is considered of 
greater worth than this world. He who secures the 
eternal safety of his soul has accomplished more than 
he who should gain this whole world. 

THE SOUL DOES NOT LOSE CONSCIOUSNESS WHEN THE 
BODY DIES. 

"For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 
But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labor : 
yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait 
betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with 
Christ ; which is far better : nevertheless to abide in 
the flesh is more needful for you. ' ' Phil. 1 : 21-24. 

If there is no conscious existence after death until 
the final resurrection from the grave, how could it be 
"far better" for Paul to depart? For him to depart 
this life is to be with Christ. "We are confident, I 
say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, 
and to be present with the Lord. ' ' 2 Cor. 5 : 8. How 
can language be plainer than this? To be absent 
from the body is to be present with the Lord. 



184 THE GofePEL DAY; OR, 

THE PLACE OF THE SOUL WHILE THE BODY LIES IN 
THE GRAVE. 

The Son of God in his beautiful narrative of the 
rich man and Lazarus certainly teaches a conscious 
existence of the departed souls of both the wicked and 
the righteous. The soul of the rich man was in tor- 
ment in the flames of hell. The angels carried the 
poor beggar to rest and bliss in Abraham's bosom. 

"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed 
in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously ev- 
ery day: and there was a certain beggar named Laz- 
arus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, and 
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the 
rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked 
his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, 
and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: 
the rich man also died, and was buried; and in hell 
he lifted up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth 
Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he 
cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, 
and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his 
finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tor- 
mented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, re- 
member that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good 
things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he 
is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all 
this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: 
so that they which would pass from hence to you 
can not ; neither can they pass to us, that would come 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 185 

from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, fa- 
ther, that thou wouldest send him to my father's 
house: for I have five brethren; that he may testi- 
fy unto them, lest they also come into this place of 
torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses 
and the prophets ; let them hear them. And he said, 
Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them 
from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto 
him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither 
will they be persuaded, though one rose from the 
dead." Luke 16:19-31. 

SOUL-REST. 

The immortal soul of man is a conscious entity, 
whether in sin or in righteousness. If in righteous- 
ness, there is a blessed consciousness of peace,, rest, 
and contentment. This internal sense of happiness 
man enjoyed in his primeval state. By disobedience 
an awful change came over him, by which the peace- 
ful rest and full satisfaction of the soul was de- 
stroyed, and the terrible miseries of sin were experi- 
enced. In sin the soul still retains its consciousness. 
There is in fallen man an internal knowledge of in- 
completeness. There is a missing link, an awful 
vacancy, and a kind of intuitive knowledge that he 
must give answer for certain moral responsibilities 
unto a great Creator. There are deep longings, 
restless fears, dark uncertainties, and desperate smug- 
glings for a satisfactory hope. 



186 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

By the entrance of sin into the world there was im- 
planted in the nature of man a "lust of the flesh," 
which seeks the pleasures of the world. This never 
brings contentment to the soul. It reaches to some- 
thing far beyond for rest. Jesus came to this world 
as the soul's Rest-giver. "Come unto me, all ye that 
labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am 
meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto 
your souls. ' ' Mat. 11 : 28, 29. The name of Jesus is 
sweet to the soul whose cry is not stifled by the ' ' lusts 
of the flesh." It is the disposition of the "carnal 
mind ' ' to hush the pleadings of the hungry, thirsting 
spirit by bidding it wait until some future time when 
its demands will be given attention. The "flesh" 
gains its pleasures at the cost of the soul's rest, and 
when the soul gains rest it must be at the cost of the 
lust of the flesh, and thus the war goes on between the 
flesh and the spirit. How often in the days of one's 
youth the soul struggles hard for freedom and pleads 
for rest; the "flesh" quiets its fears by promising to 
yield to its desires in maturer years. Old age comes 
on, and the flesh, unwilling yet to make a sacrifice of 
the world, bids the restless soul to hope for joy in 
heaven. 

This delusive scheme often proves a. success, allow- 
ing the flesh to go on reaping its carnal lusts with the 
soul endeavoring to satisfy itself with the hope of 
rest above. It is true there are wondrous joys in 



. THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 187 

heaven, but it is not all who shall get to enjoy them. 
It is very dangerous and delusive to encourage the 
heart to hope for a home in heaven when the flesh 
still loves this world. Bright hopes of endless glory 
in the world above cheer us on amid the storms of 
life to that precious goal, but we would not desire you 
to pass through this world heavy-laden, with a hope 
of unloading your cargo of sorrow and pain some- 
where in the beyond and being happy there. As we 
cross the ocean of life, there is to be found a blessed 
port where you can discharge your load of sin and 
sorrow and take on joys to your vessel's full capacity. 
Beyond life's sail there remains no port of exchange. 
The soul fitted for the delights of heaven, enjoys 
heavenly delights in this world. In the divine economy 
there is a sufficiency of grace to enable the soul to be 
blessedly at rest amid the most trying circumstances 
of life. When our happy spirits, no longer holden 
by the house of clay, shall soar away to heavenly 
rest, scenes and experiences will arise of such a na- 
ture as to greatly enhance the felicity of our hearts, 
but the revelation of heaven upon a pardoned soul, 

and 

"The enjoyment of heavenly bliss 
E'en in a world like this," 

to the humble . Christian heart can never be told. Do 
not therefore, dear reader, permit the thoughts of 
great happiness in the paradise above, nor of some 
fancied coming age of universal peace and joy on 



188 

earth, to hide from your soul the precious realization 
of heavenly enjoyments, sweet walks with God, and 
tastes of love in this present life and time. We re- 
peat, there is wondrous peace and happiness in 
heaven; all is joy there, and upon the soul yielded 
to God's control the sweets of heaven's graces are 
distilled like the gentle siftings of the evening 
dew upon the flower, transporting the soul to won- 
drous joys all along the way of life. ' ' Oh, this blessed 
holy rest" is to be found only "on Jesus' loving 
breast. ' ' , Trials may come, storm-clouds gather, and 
billows threaten, yet "in Jesus all is bright." Make 
him your haven of rest. 

ETERNAL HAPPINESS. 

Happiness forever— these words sound sweet and 
dear to almost every heart. There is nothing repul- 
sive in their tone, but, oh, what strength they give 
to the weary, waiting soul. The hope of never-ending 
happiness in a bright celestial world enables us to 
patiently endure the tortures and afflictions of this 
sin-cursed, terrestrial sphere. It is not difficult to 
persuade most people that somewhere in the great 
beyond there is a place of peace and bliss, prepared 
for the children of God to inhabit forever. But few 
men have disposition of spirit to wrest the clear dec- 
larations of inspiration on this delightful theme. 
Perhaps no other subject in the Bible is so universally 
received. Eternal rest to the Christian is the voice 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 189 

of the Word forever settled in heaven. Oh, how our 
hearts glow with rapture and our bosoms heave with 
waves of love and praise to God as we by faith look 
into an eternity of perfeGt bliss prepared for ns. 
' ■ Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the world." 
Mat. 25:34. "Well done, thou good and faithful 
servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. ' ' "In thy 
presence is fulness of joy ; at thy right hand there are 
pleasures f orevermore. " Psa. 16: 11. "The righteous 
shall go away into eternal life." Mat. 25: 46. "Then 
we which are alive and remain shall be caught up 
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord 
in the air ; and so shall we ever be with the Lord. ' ' 
1 Thes. 4:17. 

These few texts are sufficient to convince the reader 
that there is a heaven of eternal joys, but before 
leaving this subject we will give one text of caution. 
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall 
enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth 
the will of my Father which is in heaven. " Mat. 7 : 21. 

ETERNAL PUNISHMENT. 

Misery, wretchedness and woe forever— these words 
have an unpleasant sound. They form no enjoyable 
theme for meditation. People usually reject all 
thoughts of eternal unhappiness. Because of its un- 
pleasantness many have sought to explain the doc- 
trine away. However it is as positively declared in 



190 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

the sacred volume as the doctrine of eternal happi- 
ness. "And these shall go away into everlasting 
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." 
Mat. 25 : 46. The punishment of the wicked in dura- 
tion is equal with the life of the righteous, but some, 
who no doubt have not been rescued from the fears 
of hell, have endeavored to make the words everlast- 
ing and eternal as used in the above texts differ in 
meaning with respect to time. 

Upon this subject we will quote from the treatise 
entitled, "What Is the Soul?" by D. S. Warner : 
"The words 'eternal life,' as the great gift of God 
to men, occur in the New Testament just twenty- 
nine times, and' in every instance the word eternal is 
derived from the Greek word aionios; the same word 
which tells how long the punishment of the wicked 
shall last in Mat. 25:46, and elsewhere. The words 
'everlasting life' and 'life everlasting' occur in 
the New Testament fourteen times, and by reference 
to the Greek Testament you will find the word ever- 
lasting is, without a single exception; translated from 
the same Greek word— aionios. Here then we learn the 
wisdom of Heaven finds and uses no stronger term in 
all the forty-three promises and statements of eternal 
and everlasting life to the righteous in the New Tes- 
tament than the word aionion, the very same word 
which he uses to declare the eternal and everlasting 
punishment of the wicked. . . . The Lord Jesus 
Christ and the Holy Spirit have described the dura- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 191 

tion of their own existence, attributes and glory by 
the use of the same word which we have seen fixes 
the eternal punishment of the wicked. ' 

' ' In Heb. 5:9 we read that Christ became the au- 
thor of 'eternal [aionion] salvation unto all them 
that obey him.' If therefore this word does not 
mean eternal, our salvation will finally fail and drop 
us back into the hands of the devil. In Heb. 9 : 12 
we read that Christ has obtained eternal (aionion) 
redemption. If then the word only means a long 
period of time our eternal redemption is not yet 
secured. In Heb. 9 : 15 we are told that by means of 
Christ's death for our redemption, we have 'received 
the promise of eternal [aionion] inheritance.' Will 
the inheritance that Christ has purchased by his death 
come to an end?" 

In speaking of hell-fire in the ninth chapter of the 
gospel by Mark the eternal— aionion— immortal Son 
of God five times says it is a fire "which is not" 
and ' ' never shall be quenched. " If it never shall be 
quenched, can we possibly erf in supposing that it 
will burn forever ? " Then shall he say also unto them 
on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into 
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his an- 
gels. ' ' Mat. 25 : 41. ' " And shall be tormented day 
and night forever and ever." Rev. 20:10. "And the 
smoke of their torment ascendeth up forever and 
ever." Rev. 14:11. 

There are yet many other scriptures which posi- 



192 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

tively teach everlasting punishment in an endless 
hell. Whatever fears this doctrine may bring to 
deluded souls, and however zealously they may labor 
for its refutation, it stands unshaken. If you fear 
eternal punishment do not endeavor to calm your 
fears by seeking to believe there is no endless tor- 
ment, but seek the Savior, who will save you from 
your sins and fears, and give you hope, blessed hope, 
of everlasting peace and rest. 



CHAPTER XI. 
SPIRITUAL CULTURE. 



' ' And this is the record, that God hath given to us 
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ' ' 1 John 5 : 11. 
There is eternal life in Jesus, but for man to come 
into possession of this life he must comply with the 
requirements made by the Bible. After getting into 
possession of this life there are certain duties which 
man must faithfully perform to retain and develop it. 
After entering the wide fields of grace development 
is necessary. "But grow in grace, and in the knowl- 
edge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." 2 Pet. 
3 : 18. Nutrition necessary for the development of 
spiritual life is contained in the Word of God. "Man 
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 
proceedeth out of the mouth of God." Mat 4:4, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 193 

"As new-born babes, desire the sincere milk of the 
word, that ye may grow thereby. ' ' 1 Pet. 2 : 2. 

By proper culture— attending to Christian duties— 
the Christ-life in the soul will be strengthened, and 
daily we will become stronger in faith, richer in vir- 
tue, deeper in knowledge, more strictly temperate, 
exercise a greater degree of brotherly kindness and 
godliness, and enjoy more of heaven's pure love in 
our hearts. Neglect the proper Scriptural culture 
of the spiritual life and the Christian will degenerate 
into a few irksome duties of cold formality. By the 
writers of the New Testament we are urgently ex- 
horted, yea, commanded, to attend to certain duties 
necessary to keep us in the love of God. Of these 
especially important are reading the Scripture, 
prayer, fasting, examination, meditation, etc. 

READING THE SCRIPTURE. 

"Thy word is very pure: therefore thy servant 
loveth it." "I love thy commandments above gold; 
yea, above fine gold." "The law of thy mouth is 
better unto me than thousands of gold and silver." 
Psa. 119 : 140, 127, 72. The Bible, to the Christian, 
is a richer treasure than gold. No other book is read 
with such deep, amazing interest. The soul ravishing- 
ly feasts upon the pure, simple truth. It is manna. 
It is life. ' ' How sweet are thy words unto my taste ! 
yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth." Psa. 119 : 103. 
When the soul gets to taste of the honeyed sweetness 
4? 



194 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

of God's Word it endears it to God and the Bible so 
as to make death preferable to separation. "0 how 
love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day." 
Psa. .119 : 97. Exile to Patmos would not be so 
lonely to the Christian did he but have his Bible. 

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and 
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 
for instruction in righteousness : that the man of God 
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works." 2 Tim. 3: 16,17. The Word of God contains 
sufficient instructions and corrections to properly de- 
velop the Christ-life in the soul, if it is heeded. By 
looking into this perfect law of God and continuing 
in its teaching one will imbibe its spirit, its life, its 
power, until his own life will reveal the truly high 
and ennobling principles of the precious volume from 
heaven. The true sentiment of the Bible will be so 
interwoven into his very existence that his decorum 
will be so influenced by the power of divine truth 
that all who read his life will but read God's Holy 
Book. 

The Bible tells us of heaven, the eternal, happy 
home of the righteous. It tells us of sin and how 
it deprives the soul the privilege of entering that 
bright mansion of everlasting rest. It tells of a 
Savior who saves from sin, and fits and prepares 
man to receive from God's hands great eternal re- 
wards. It unfolds to us the beautiful character of 
God and encourages our souls to imitate his perfect 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 195 

example. It speaks of our Heavenly Father's loving 
providence, how that he is ever watching over us, 
and guiding us with his eye ; how that no harm shall 
ever befall us, and when we pass through the rivers 
they shall not overflow us ; when we walk through the 
fire we shall not be burned ; how that he will withhold 
no good thing from us, but will cause all things to 
work for our good : how that he bears our burdens and 
shelters us beneath his wing. The Bible is the Chris- 
tian 's guide to a haven of rest ; to make sure he is trav- 
eling in the right course, he must study it well. He 
must run the way of its commandments. To be a fruit- 
ful Christian he must search it and be a doer of its 
precepts, ever gaining knowledge and practising what 
he knows. Ah, my Bible ! it is a lamp unto my feet 
and a light unto my pathway. 

Precious volume, ever lie 
Very near my heart and eye; 
All the precepts of thy page 
Ever shall my soul engage. 

PRAYER. 

Prayer has brought a comfort to many a sorrowing 
heart. It has wiped away many a tear. Prayer is 
the Christian's stronghold. There can be no real 
progress in the divine life without earnest prayer. A 
decline in spiritual life usually begins at the secret 
closet. Satan knows what a powerful weapon prayer 
is in the hands of a saint. As Cowper has said, 



196 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Satan trembles when he sees 
The weakest saint upon his knees. 

The Bible says, ' ' The effectual fervent prayer of a 
righteous man avail eth much." Jas. 5: 16. 

Prayer to be effectual must be offered in faith. 
The prayer of faith has accomplished wonders in 
every age of the world. It has stopped the mouths 
of lions. It has subdued kingdoms, obtained prom- 
ises, quenched the violence of fire, and escaped the 
edge of the sword. By the prayer of faith the weak 
have become strong and turned to flight the armies 
of the aliens. The weak child of God by prayer 
develops into strong manhood. When engaged in 
a severe contest with the enemy of your soul the 
prayer of faith draws upon the strength of heaven 
and thus you become stronger in God. In a time of 
heavy and sore trials by looking upward unto God 
in confidence we conquer. For this reason the trial 
of our faith is more precious than gold. ''What 
things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that 
ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 
11 : 24. " If ye abide in me, and my words abide in 
you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done 
unto you. ' ' John 15:7. " And whatsoever ye shall 
ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may 
be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything 
in my name, I will do it." John 14: 13, 14. "Hither- 
to have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye 
shall receive, that your joy may be full," "And 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 197 

whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we 
keep his commandments, and do those things that 
are pleasing in his sight. ' ' 1 John 3 : 22. 

With these promises before us we certainly ought 
to be encouraged to strive earnestly for the faith 
once delivered to the saints. It is the prayer of 
faith that moves God upon his throne. Words offered 
in mere form are powerless. "He that cometh to 
God must believe that he is, and that he is a re- 
warder of them that diligently seek him, ' ' for ' ' with- 
out faith it is impossible to please- him. ' ' Heb. 11 : 6. 
Man that asks of God and wavers in his faith is 
compared to the restless waves of the sea. "But 
let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that 
wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven of the 
wind and tossed. For let not that man think that 
he shall receive anything of the Lord. ' ' Jas. 1:6, 7. 

There is a difference between simple faith and pre- 
sumption. Some people take things for granted be- 
cause God has promised similar things, without con- 
sidering well if their prayer is according to the will 
of God. The Lord has promised bodily healing to 
his children. He says, ' ' The prayer of faith shall save 
the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he 
have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." 
Jas. 5 : 15. This is conditional, the conditions being 
recorded in the following verse : ' ■ Confess your faults 
one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may 
be healed." The glorious Bible doctrine of divine 



198 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

healing has many times been disgraced by mere pre- 
sumption. Many when they are anointed presume 
they are healed because God has promised it in his 
Word when they have failed to sit in the valley of 
humiliation to learn of God their faults that need 
correction. They find in a short time that their pre- 
sumption does not prove effectual and witnesses are 
made to scorn the idea of divine healing. We hear of 
no relapsing in a few days of those who were healed 
by the Lord and his church in the morning light. 
If any had such severe trials of faith as to be as 
sick or worse than ever apparently, it was thought 
wisdom to exclude such testimony from the Bible, 
and if wise to exclude it from the Bible, we are per- 
suaded it is wise to exclude it from public testimony 
at any time. 

The same may be said of prayers for spiritual and 
temporal blessings. Never mistake presumption for 
faith. An individual might ask God for some tem- 
poral blessing and because God has promised to 
supply "all our needs/' and if "we ask anything he 
will do it," take it for granted he is soon going to 
receive it, and when it fails to appear is disappointed 

and discouraged. By close examination it will be 

* 

found chat there was not a humble resignation of all 
things into the hands of God. The prayer was 
tinctured with selfish desire and more presuming than 
heart-felt faith. For a perfect operation of faith 
that will draw blessings and life and power from 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 199 

God to the soul there must be a humble yielding, a 
perfect surrender of all to the Father's loving con- 
trol. When all is resigned, and we sit in holy sub- 
mission at his feet, faith will spring up, and if it is 
for some temporal blessing we are asking, God will 
answer to the soul and we will know and feel within us 
that we have the object desired. Though we have it 
not as yet in our possession it will never fail to appear 
at God's own appointed time, which is never too late. 
We believe that many presume that they are sancti- 
fied, but afterwards discover that they have not a 
perfect and pure heart. In all probability there 
was a lack in the consecration, which hindered a per- 
fect operation of faith, and presumption was mis- 
taken for belief. Such has doubtless been the result 
also in seeking justification. Positive faith affects 
God on his throne and brings a clear understanding 
consciousness to the soul. 

Some one may wonder in what way the prayer of 
faith offered when we are sick, or prayers for tem- 
poral needs can advantage us in the development of 
spiritual life. God has so arranged that the prayer 
of faith that brings healing virtue to the afflicted body 
also brings a blessing and an increase to the soul. 
Prayer that reaches God in a time of temporal need 
not only moves him to grant the petition, but also 
adds new strength and energy to the inner being. Thus 
God may permit us to be afflicted or to be in great 
need of food or raiment to awaken our souls to earnest 



200 



imploring prayer for our spiritual advantage. When 
all is dark before and behind us, when storm-clouds 
hang heavy over us and temptations grow manifold, 
we are made keenly conscious that our whole and only 
dependence is upon God. Then on wings of faith the 
trembling soul comes into God's majestic presence to 
implore his aid, his help, in time of need. In his fa- 
therly care he extends his hand and lifts us above the 
storm-clouds of affliction and temptation into beauti- 
ful light. It will be found that our soul is wonder- 
fully increased in God. Thus prayer offered in these 
times of greatest need always prove a blessing to the 
spiritual life. Our own dear children could save 
themselves from much chastisement by obedience. 
Thus the children of God would doubtless be spared 
many an affliction if they were more strictly obedient 
to him. 

How often should we pray? David says/ ' Evening, 
and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud : 
and he shall hear my voice. ' ' Psa. 55 : 17. Again he 
says, "Seven times a day do I praise thee because 
of thy righteous judgments. ' ' Psa. 119 : 164. The 
apostle Paul exhorts us to "pray without ceasing/ ' 
1 Thes. 5 : 17. We do not understand by this last 
text that the Christian is to be constantly in an 
attitude of prayer. No one can reasonably demand 
such a strict interpretation. For constant spiritual 
growth we should follow the example of the holy 
prophets and apostles and have regular daily visits 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 201 

to our altar of prayer. Beside this if you desire the 
beautiful character of Christ to unfold in your soul 
and life you should be careful to constantly maintain 
a prayerful frame of spirit. How often one should 
go within their closet, circumstances must decide. 
Where circumstances afford much time for prayer we 
assure you to be no loser by living much behind your 
closed door. 

The spiritual man may be compared to the physical 
man in a sense, or to a certain extent. The physical 
man demands food for its sustenance. It feasts at the 
breakfast table, then goes, using the strength derived 
in performing the vocations of life. In a few hours 
there will be a demand for more, as the force of the 
former meal is spent. "But man shall not live by 
bread alone." The soul feasts upon the life of God 
in prayer and is strengthened, you then engage in the 
duties of life. In a short time you will feel the pangs 
of hunger in your soul. There is a longing for a deep 
communion with God. This is your best guide 
as to how often you should pray if your soul is in a 
good healthy state. It may not be convenient for you 
to go into your closet every time you feel your soul 
"panting after God," but you can lift up your heart 
to him in the best manner you can under the circum- 
stances, and then go and feast at your private altar 
at your very earliest convenience. 

The physical and spiritual man differ with respect 
to overeating. Too much food is injurious to the 



202 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

animal man, but the danger of surfeiting was not 
spoken of the soul. The inner man may feast and 
banquet and drink of spiritual stores and streams and 
the soul will grow and develop accordingly. There 
is but little danger of lingering too long at the feast. 
There is much danger of famine while the Christian 
as a citizen of this world has certain secular duties 
to perform, yet amid these he communes and walks 
with God. While he may be intellectually engaged 
in the problems of life, the higher affections of his 
soul live upon heavenly things. He thus drinks of 
the refreshing dews of glory until the beauteous graces 
of Christ are imbibed and infused throughout his very 
existence and the holy image of God is seen upon him. 

The effect of a prayer of faith is almost without 
limit. By it Daniel shut the mouths of lions. The 
Hebrews walked unhurt amid the flames. Elijah shut 
up the heavens until it did not rain for more than 
three years. The waters of the sea have been divided, 
the walls of cities thrown down, armies turned to 
flight, kingdoms subdued, the prison-doors opened, 
the barren womb has become fruitful, the lame have 
been made to walk, the deaf to hear, the blind to see, 
the dead raised to life and the soul redeemed. Oh, the 
wonders of prayer ! 

Satan, knowing how disastrous to his kingdom is 
the Christian's prayer of faith, will do all he can to 
hinder. He will heap upon you duties of life ; tell you 
that you have no time for prayer. When you do pray 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 203 

he will try to make your prayers hurried and insin- 
cere. He will try to divert your attention when at 
the altar of prayer. He will be constantly presenting 
thoughts of secular duties. He will strive to make 
your devotions formal and irksome. He will cast over 
you a feeling of awful indifference and then advise 
you not to pray until you feel more like it. He will 
make the heavens appear as brass above you, and tell 
you God does not hear you. Christian, you know by 
the Word of God what is your duty. It is to pray. 
Then pray you must. It is the language of the Bible. 
Disregarding your feelings, pray. Disregarding the 
suggestions of Satan, pray. As you value your soul, 
pray, and "pray without ceasing." 

FASTINGS. 

That the apostle Paul considered fasting an ex- 
cellent means for spiritual development is evident 
from his writings. He says that the ministers of God 
should approve themselves by "much patience, in 
afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in 
imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in watchings, in 
fastings." 2 Cor. 6:4, 5. In speaking of himself, 
he says he was "in weariness and painfulness, in 
watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings of- 
ten." 2 Cor. 11:27. In Acts 27:33, we learn that 
on the occasion of the shipwreck fourteen days were 
spent in fasting. This is not the doing of penance 
that the priests of mystic Babylon bind upon their 



204 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

subjects, but the cheerful service of a humble, devoted 
ieart. God has not left this at the direction of man, 
but it is alone at the dictation of the Holy Spirit. 

There is a secret power in fasting. It separates 
us farther from self and deepens us in humility, 
spirituality and reliance upon God. On occasions 
where great faith was required, fastings wer"e recom- 
mended by the Savior. In speaking to his disciples 
concerning the devils which possessed a child, he said, 
"This kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting. ' ' 
Mat. 17 : 21. When Paul and Barnabas were sepa- 
rated by the Holy Spirit unto the work of the Lord, 
after fasting and prayer hands were laid upon them 
and they were sent away. When fasting, the mind 
is clearer and the faith more active. It is a self- 
denial, which has a tendency to develop the graces 
of the Spirit. 

It is said of a certain prophetess that dwelt in 
Jerusalem in the days of our Savior's nativity, that 
she departed not from the temple, but served God 
with fastings and prayers night and day. Luke 2: 
36, 37. 

The most spiritual Christians are ready to acknowl- 
edge that fasting is an excellent means of drawing 
us into a deeper and more intimate communion with 
God. We scarcely think that any one will attain to 
any great spiritual depth without fasting. When the 
Christian's soul is burdened for this lost world it is 
natural for him to unburden his soul to God in 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 205 

fasting and prayer. How beautifully has the Lord 
arranged all things in the kingdom of heaven! He 
by his Spirit lays a burden upon our heart for the 
souls of lost mankind. This burden causes us to 
seek God in fasting and prayer for these lost ones, 
and our prayers move him to send forth his Spirit 
to convict this world of sin. Thus it is arranged in 
the economy of grace, and thus we can all be "work- 
ers together with him." 

It is sad that comparatively so few know the value 
of the sincere prayer of faith. Fasting and prayer af- 
fect this whole world, and heaven and hell. Christian, 
do not be sparing in them. Christians are few, but 
there are enough of them upon the earth, that if all 
were earnest in fasting and prayer this world would 
be disturbed in her slumber and sinners be made to 
fear before the wrath of God. To be unwilling to fast 
when we feel the movings of God's Spirit upon us 
to that end, is to soon become so dull and stupid spir- 
itually that we will have but little burden or concern 
for perishing souls. If we want to walk with God 
and have a deep concern for his cause and love for 
lost mankind we must be self-denying and "in fast- 
ings often." 

TRIALS AND TEMPTATIONS. 

You may wonder why we have arranged the sub- 
ject of "Trials and Temptations" in the chapter of 
"Spiritual Culture.' ' It is because they are an e^- 



206 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

cellent means of our growth in divine things. "All 
things work together for good to them that love God. ' ' 
Trials prove to be for our good in the spiritual life 
if we will boldly and bravely meet them in Jesus' 
name. We are encouraged by the apostle James to 
count all temptations a joy. It is evident that the 
apostle would not exhort us to count temptations a 
joy if they were not for our good. The Bible tells us 
there is a tempter. 1 Thes. 3:5. We also learn 
from the sacred page that God does not tempt any 
man. Jas. 1 : 13. Matthew tells us that the devil is 
the tempter. Mat. 4 : 1. God permits Saltan to try 
and tempt us as we learn from Job's experience. 
Satan can not tempt us beyond what God permits, and 
God will not permit him to tempt us beyond what 
we are able to bear. He does not permit one to be 
tempted more than another, but we all have temp- 
tations such as are common to man. 1 Cor. 10 : 13. 

Jesus was tempted in every manner that man is 
tempted, yet without sin. Heb. 4 : 15. Jesus was not 
overcome by temptation, but he faithfully endured. 
Because he was thus tempted and overcame, he knows 
how to deliver the godly out of temptation. 2 Pet. 2 : 
9. Not only does he know how to deliver us out of 
temptation, but he is fully able to do so. Heb. 
2 : 18. 

Temptations and trials are necessary in the Chris- 
tian life. But few people realize the value of temp- 
tation. But few people, or perhaps none but what 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 207 

would backslide if they did not have any trials. God 
has so arranged it in the nature of Christianity or 
spiritual life that in order for the soul to grow and 
develop it must be tested and tried. Leaning upon 
God in time of strong temptation only increases our 
strength in God. Man would become independent of 
God, however much he may think to the contrary, if 
he had no trials and temptations. No true-hearted 
Christian has trials only such as he needs. Peter 
says, "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a 
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through mani- 
fold temptations." 1 Pet. 1 : 6. Christian, do you not 
value your spiritual prosperity above all else? Then 
never complain nor become discouraged because of the 
heavy and manifold temptations. God knows how to 
deal with you. You may sometimes think you know 
best, but in this you are mistaken. Father knoweth 
best. He loves you and will not suffer you to be 
tempted beyond what your needs are, and what he 
will enable you to bear, if you will but trust in him. 

When your way grows very dark and temptation's 
billows roll high, when the flames of fiery trials seem 
to almost consume your soul, will you not remember 
that, just as you are being tempted, Jesus was also 
tempted, yet he was not overcome? Also remember 
that he knows how to deliver you, and is able to do 
it. God sees that you need this and he is permitting 
it to mold you and fashion you into his own holy 
image. These are the refining flames that serve to 



208 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

consume the dross and make you perfectly pure. Our 
heavenly Father chasteneth us for our profit, that we 
might be partakers of his holiness. Heb. 12 : 10. God 
has given us a promise, which, if you will remember in 
faith, will enable you to endure. "Blessed is the 
man that endure th temptation: for when he is tried 
he shall receive a crown of life, which the Lord has 
promised to them that love him. ,, Jas. 1:12. 

When in trial 's heated furnace, 

In temptation's deep, wide sea, 
Like with sainted Hebrew children, 

Jesus walketh there with me. 

MEDTTATION. 

That meditation does affect one's spirituality 
is an unquestionable fact. Vagrant thought is well 
calculated to dull the finer sensibilities of the soul, 
thereby rendering it less capable of impression by 
the Spirit of God. "Keeping in touch with God/' 
is a very familiar expression among holiness people 
at this present time, but what does it imply? We 
are all at sea when not in touch with him. To be 
so kept is to have everything in us fully alive to 
God. Every Christian grace must be in a state of 
perfect health and vigorous growth. If there be any 
dwarfed condition of the spiritual being in any part 
it will be less sensible to God's touch. 

The blind have been known to cultivate the sense 
of touch in the physical being to the amazing acute- 
n.ess of being able to distinguish color. The sense of 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 209 

touch in the soul by careful, earnest husbandry can 
be refined to such a degree as to make it susceptible 
to the slightest impression of the Holy Spirit. 

In the creation, the moral being was given the capa- 
bility of being influenced and controlled by the Spir- 
it of the Lord. By sin this electric current from 
God's presence to man's soul, like the separation of 
the Atlantic cable, was divided. Man becoming thus 
disconnected from God's power and impressive guid- 
ance was left to be operated by the influences of a 
wicked world. Through the redemptive power of 
Jesus ' blood man is again brought into union with 
God. The divided cable is taken up and united, and 
man's soul wondrously animated by God's presence. 

So cultured may become the sensibilities of the 
inner being, and so thoroughly impregnated by God's 
enlivening power, that one empty thought, causing 
the slightest ebbing of life's current flow is keenly 
felt. To keep in perfect touch with God is to live 
where there is a soul consciousness that he is pleased 
with every act of life; where there is a witnessing 
"sweet and clear" of the Spirit to the inmost soul 
that the words of your mouth and the meditations 
of your heart are acceptable unto him. 

Pure and holy meditations are an excellent means 
for the culture and refinement of man's moral being. 
Useless thought makes the soul coarse, and difficult of 
impression by good influences. By associating with 
God through prayer and meditation man's spiritual 

41 



210 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

entity will develop into his own glorious image. By 
communion with the Lord his pure character is as- 
similated into our own until our lives become but 
the fruit of a vine which has its origin in the rich 
soil around Heaven's throne. If you can indulge a 
train of careless, vagabond thought, and not be se- 
verely smitten in conscience, you are far from being 
in touch with God. The spiritual depression and 
awful benumbing stupidity, the disrelish for prayer 
and reading the Bible, is often the result of enter- 
taining empty, fruitless meditations. The Scriptures 
tell us what are wholesome subjects for thought, and 
what are not. "The thought of foolishness is sin." 
Prov. 24: 9. "I hate vain thoughts." Psa. 119: 113. 
Vain and foolish thoughts are very destructive to 
spirituality > and should be hated and carefully guard- 
ed against by every lover of God's law. Many people 
find it difficult to stay their mind upon the Lord. 
While reading the Bible and in secret prayer their 
thoughts are disposed to wander. The wonderful 
works of God scarcely awaken any admiration within 
them. They can not elevate their soul into a pro- 
found awe before his awful presence, and there is 
but little conscious depth of inner reverence and de- 
votion to his dear name. There is a blessed remedy 
for this serious trouble. Carefully watch your med- 
itations. Call the oftener upon God in some silent 
secret place. Select some secluded, hallowed place 
for meditation. It is said of Isaac that he went into 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 211 

the field at eventide to meditate. Gen. 24 : 63. This 
is a time well suited to draw the soul out into deep, 
intimate communion with God. Learn to admire the 
wondrous works of the Creator. Meditate upon them. 
The setting of the sun, the starry heavens, the fleecy 
floating clouds, the silent hills, all will serve to fill 
your soul with reverential fear before God's majestic 
presence, and all within you be awed to solemn still- 
ness at his footfall. Then you can say with the 
Psalmist, "0 how love I thy law! it is my meditation 
all the day." Psa. 119:97. "I will remember the 
works of the Lord : surely I will remember thy won- 
ders of old. I will meditate also of all thy work, and 
talk of thy doings." Psa. 77 : 11, 12. "My soul shall 
be satisfied as with marrow and fatness ; and my 
mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I re- 
member thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee 
in the night watches." Psa. 63:5, 6. 

Idle, careless thoughts generate a stupidity that 
will rob you of joy and soul satisfaction. It will 
deaden the sensibilities of your inner nature and pre- 
vent your hearing God's footstep, and deprive you of 
many a blessing. Communion with the Lord and med- 
itating upon his Word will elevate the soul to a plane 
all radiant with Heaven's light and love, and put a 
humility in your heart and a sweetness in every ex- 
pression that will distinguish you from the coarse 
ways of the world. "I will sing unto the Lord as 
long as I live : I will sing praise to my God while I 



212 



have my being. My meditation of him shall be 
sweet: I will be glad in the Lord." Psa. 104: 33, 34. 

EXAMINATION. 

Close and impartial examination of our moral char- 
acter is indispensable to spiritual prosperity. He 
who does not watch the inclinations of his heart, 
nor note the course of its affections, and direct them 
in the channels of heavenly grace, will soon have 
naught but a "name to live." As you read the in- 
fallible Word of God, ask him to let its light find en- 
trance to the remotest chambers of your soul. Too 
many read the Scriptures in a careless way. The 
severity of God's judgments are turned aside by the 
enemy of their soul. We fear that too many peo- 
ple are to-day building hopes of heaven upon an ex- 
perience of years ago. They will talk of the time 
when they found the Savior and enjoyed his love. 
But now they have become formal and do not sit in 
impartial judgment upon their actions. The holy 
apostle said, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in 
the faith ; prove your own selves. ' ' 2 Cor. 13 : 5. 

Closely examine your actions, your life, your na- 
ture, and prove your spiritual condition by the Word 
of God. Thousands to-day are deceived and on the 
broad way to eternal night and woe because they 
never stop to reason and to carefully examine their 
lives and spiritual condition in what light and knowl- 
edge they have of the Scriptures. How many will 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 213 

read, ■ ' Love not the world, neither the things that are 
in the world; if any man love the world the love of 
the Father is not in him," and pass on with a heart 
filled with the love of the world, consoling them- 
selves that they are on their way to heaven. If they 
were bnt serious enough to examine their hearts 
they would feel the condemnation of God's Spirit as 
they read such texts, but ofttimes when they are 
brought to any consideration they will search for evi- 
dence to neutralize their guilt. They will again 
read, ' ' Man shall give an account of every idle word, ' ' 
and go on talking foolishly and jesting, seeking to 
believe they are God's own children. And thus goes 
the world. 

If you value your soul and hope of heaven, see 
to it that your life is in strict accordance with every 
requirement of the Scriptures. People are having 
idle talk, impure thoughts, evil surmising, feelings 
of pride, envy and hatred. They are speaking evil 
of their neighbors, laying up their treasures upon 
earth, loving the world and self, rendering evil for 
evil, backbiting, reveling, and professing to be travel- 
ing the narrow way that leads to eternal rest the same 
as if there was no Bible. Such have no examination 
of their lives, and should they have they use some Sa- 
tanic sophistry to gloss their sin. "Who is a wise 
man and endued with knowledge?" It is he that 
shows out of a godly life that he is a Christian. It 
is he that carefully examines every act and thought 



214 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

and word and by Heaven's grace tolerates nothing 
in his life in opposition to the Word of God. Careful 
examination is an important factor in our spiritual 
prosperity. By carefully watching our life we can 
detect its defects and then by earnest prayer these 
defects can be removed and we grow up into the 
image of God. If you hold but little or no examina- 
tion of your conduct there may be many imperfec- 
tions in your ways of life displeasing to God, and 
yet unknown to you. You will find it beneficial to fre- 
quently seclude yourself from the busy whirl of life, 
and enter into profound meditation and careful ex- 
amination. 

We will suggest a few general questions, which may 
help you in your retrospection. Have my medita- 
tions been pure and acceptable to God through this 
day? Have I not spoken one idle word? Am I as 
thankful to God for blessings as I should be? Has 
there been any feeling of pride in my heart? Has 
there been any feeling of impatience within me? 
Have I felt and manifested any selfishness? Have 
I had a due regard for the welfare and happiness of 
others? Have my devotions been spiritual and full 
of reverence? Do I love God? Am I dead to sin? 
Do I love secret prayer and the reading of the Bible ? 
Do I feel as deeply as I should the sins of this lost 
world ? Have I spent my money for self and with- 
held from God? All told, what have I done for 
Jesus? These and many other questions the Chris- 
tian may ask himself to see if he is in the faith. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 215 

BACKSLIDINGS. 

In the chapter of "Spiritual Culture" we have 
included the subject of Backsliding, not that back- 
sliding is in any sense advantageous to spiritual de- 
velopment, but it is our certain destiny if we do not 
assiduously employ the means necessary to our 
growth in grace. By backsliding is meant the grad- 
ual turning back or away from God; to aposta- 
tize. The Savior gives us warning to "watch and 
pray," that we "enter not into temptation." The 
tempter will lay in your pathway all things possi- 
ble to induce you to turn away from God. He will 
suggest that it is not necessary to pray so much, and 
we do not have to keep such a strict vigil over our 
lives and govern and rule the whole by the Word of 
God. He may tell you that now since you are saved 
you are safe. God is able to keep you, and you have 
nothing now to do but to silently fold your arms and 
sail to heaven on "flowery beds of ease." There 
never was a soul created of God or recreated by his 
Spirit, not excepting the Savior himself, since the 
day Adam was made of the dust, to this present 
time, but what Satan has endeavored, by lies and 
machinations to turn him away from God. Thou- 
sands of millions have gone down the rapids of neg- 
ligence and carelessness, and been lost in the whirl- 
pool of a cold, formal religion. 

Some teach that the soul once born of God can 



216 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

never apostatize. "Once in grace always in grace," 
is the manner in which they state it. We are fully 
persuaded that the individual who teaches such a 
doctrine is wholly ignorant of grace and devoid of 
God's enlightening Spirit. What would be the need 
of Christians being warned to "watch and pray, 
lest they enter into temptation," if there be no pos- 
sibility of being overcome by it? If there is 
never a return to sin after regeneration, why does 
John say to his little children, "If any man sin, we 
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the 
righteous"? 1 John 2:1. 

The reader will not understand us to favor the 
teaching that Christians must of necessity occasion- 
ally commit sin and that none live a sinless life. It 
is impossible for man to be committing sin and at 
the same time be a Christian. A sinning Christian is 
a phenomenon never known in the kingdom of grace. 
The Scriptures plainly teach that when once we en- 
ter a state of grace, we should always, by living a 
pure, holy life, continue in the same. But the teach- 
ing that when we once enter a state of grace we al- 
ways remain in that state, no matter what we do, 
is certainly very foreign to the Holy Scriptures and 
soul deluding. God spoke by the mouth of an Old 
Testament prophet nearly six hundred years before 
the coming of "grace and truth" by the Savior, 
saying, "When a righteous man doth turn from his 
righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 217 

stumbling-block before him, he shall die : because thou 
hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and 
his righteousness which he hath done shall not be 
remembered. ' ' Ezek. 3 : 20. What need be, and what 
can be, plainer than this text? Here iniquity and 
sin are used interchangeably and are perfectly synon- 
ymous. If a righteous man (one in possession of 
grace) commits sin his righteousness is no longer 
remembered. This is as much as to say he is no longer 
in grace, but is fallen. In the next verse this holy 
seer receives words from the mouth of the Almighty 
and gives the righteous man warning that he sin 
not. If he does not sin he shall live. It is sin that 
brings death to the soul. Ezek. 18 : 4. It is sin that 
separates us from God. Isa, 59 : 2. It is sin that 
causes our names to be blotted out of the book of life. 
Ex. 32 : 33. It is sin that withholds good things from 
us. Jer. 5 : 25. It is sin that destroys grace. Rom. 
6:1, 2. 

What is sin ? Sin is the transgression of God 's law. 
1 John 3 : 4. Who in all the earth has become so 
boldly defiant that he can in the face of clear and 
plain Scriptural statements testify that he is in a state 
of grace when he is living in known violation of 
some of God's commandments? His boldness will 
forsake him and he wither like the frail flower be- 
neath the hoary frost when .he comes into the awful 
majestic presence of a righteous Creator in that great 
avenging day. 



218 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

One of the inspired writers of the New Testament 
exhorts Christians to give all diligence that we 
add virtue to our faith, and knowledge to our virtue, 
and temperance to our knowledge, and to temperance 
patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness 
brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity. 
2 Pet. 1 : 5-7. In the following verses he tells us if 
these things abound in us we shall be neither barren 
nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord, and 
if we do these things we shall never fall. Does not 
this obviously imply that if we do not do them that 
we shall fall ? Dear reader, if you are now a Christian 
and feel the glowing of God 's pure love in your heart, 
if you neglect to employ the means for growth in 
grace that the Bible commands, that certain you will 
backslide, or fall from grace. You may retain a 
form of worship, but you will be devoid of spirituality 
and your worship be unacceptable. We are com- 
manded to ' ' grow in grace. ' ' 2 Pet. 3 : 18. In the 
verse above we are warned against being led away by 
the error of the wicked and falling from our own 
steadfastness. 

Now it is a well established fact in the very nature 
of things that it would be impossible to grow if there 
was no possibility of a decline. If there be no retro- 
gression, there can be no progression. The beloved 
John from the lonely isle writes unto the church of 
Ephesus and tells them that God had somewhat 
against them because they had left their first love. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 219 

He tells them to remember from whence they are fal- 
len and repent. They once enjoyed the love of God— 
they were spiritual. His redeeming grace had re- 
moved the guilt of sin, but now they are fallen. He 
that hath an ear, let him hear. 

How often the apostle Paul warns the Christian 
against backsliding. His motto was, "I press toward 
the .mark for the prize of the high calling of God in 
Christ Jesus. ' ' Phil. 3 : 14. In writing to the Co- 
lossians he says, "Luke, the beloved physician, and 
Demas, ' ' greet you. A greeting was sent from Demas 
by Paul to the Colossians in the year 64, A. D. In 
writing his letter to Philemon, A. D. 64, Paul says, 
"There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in 
Christ Jesus ; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my 
fellow laborers." ver. 23, 24. Demas was one of Paul's 
coworkers, and undoubtedly enjoyed the experience of 
salvation by grace. In writing to Timothy two years 
later Paul says, "For Demas hath forsaken me, hav- 
ing loved this present world. ' ' 2 Tim. 4 : 10. 

As on the other subjects of this volume many more 
texts and strong points of reasoning could be given 
to fixedly establish the New Testament teaching of 
the possibilities of spiritual degeneration and death, 
but we conclude that we have made all plain to the 
understanding of every candid mind. It has not been 
our purpose to exhaust any subject. It. has not been 
our expectation to convince many gainsayers, but 
to bring light to the hearts which the Lord has pre- 
pared. 



220 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

One text of Scripture used by propagators of the 
doctrine, "We can never fall from grace," is found 
in 1 John 3 : 9, and reads thus : "Whosoever is born of 
God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in 
him : and he can not sin, because he is born of God. ' ' 
We believe it is safe to always give the Scriptures the 
plainest, simplest meaning when it does not conflict 
with the Word of God elsewhere. We should never 
mystify a text, but accept it as it reads. In 1 John 
2 : 1, the author of this epistle says, ' ' My little chil- 
dren, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. 
And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the 
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." Certainly 
every reader understands John to here teach that it 
is possible for man to sin, or in other words, no man 
in this life passes beyond the possibilities of sin. Now 
to understand him to say in the ninth verse of the 
third chapter that when we are once born of God we 
can not possibly sin, makes him to teach contradictory 
doctrines. Such we know he does not do, and since 
1 John 2 : 1 is too plain to be misunderstood, we must 
look about to harmonize with it, in the most simple 
way, 1 John 3:9. We will quote Rotherham on this 
text : " No one that hath been begotten of God doe th sin, 
because his seed in him abideth, and he can not be sin- 
ning, because of God has he been begotten. " To be 
begotten of God is to be pardoned or saved from sin. 

The seed (the Christ-life) abides in the soul in the 
regenerated state. The seeds of life are supplanted 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 221 

by the seeds of death when we commit sin. No one is 
born of God when spiritual life has been destroyed by 
sin. No man can be ''sinning" and be a child of 
God. One who has been saved may be overcome 
and commit sin, but when he does so he is not God's 
child. This text does not teach the impossibility of 
committing sin after we are born of God, but only the 
impossibility of committing sin and being a Chris- 
tian. 



CHAPTER XII. 
THE COURSE OF THE WORLD. 



Unmistakably there exists a wide gulf of separation 
between the children of God and the children of the 
world. Christ is the only avenue of escape from the 
world. The wide, open door of salvation is the exit. 
He who would return from the blissful shores of 
Christianity to the beggarly elements of the world 
can do so only on the transporting barges of Satan. 
As a tree is known by its fruits, so is a true follower 
of Christ. The fruit borne by a Christian is directly 
opposite in its nature to the fruit borne by the world- 
ling. It is not the profession merely that produces the 
separation, out, it is the manner of life. The Son 
of God is the great exemplar of Christianity. Just 
what true Christian principles did in him will in the 
very nature of things do for all who possess like 



222 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

principles. We are forced to the conclusion that the 
professed follower of Christ is destitute of Christian 
principles when he delights himself in worldliness. 
Jesus said o'f himself, "I am not of this world." 
John 8 : 23. He says of his followers, "If ye were of 
the world, the world would love his own : but because 
ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of 
the world, therefore the world hateth you." John 
15:19. 

Paul bears testimony to his separation, from the 
world by the grace of God. In Eph. 2 : 2, 3 he speaks 
of the time when he lived among those who were 
worldly. He says, "Wherein [in sin] in time past ye 
walked according to the course of this world, ac- 
cording to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit 
that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 
among whom also we all had our conversation in times 
past in the lustsof ourflesh, fulnllingthe desires of the 
flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the chil- 
dren of wrath, even as others." In the next two 
verses he testifies to the effects of saving grace: "But 
God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love where- 
with he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath 
quickened us together with Christ; by grace ye are 
saved." It must be made obvious to all by these 
texts that salvation from sin by grace saves from 
walking according to the course of the world. 

Again the apostle gives testimony: "But God for- 
bid that I should glory, save in the cross of our 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 223 

Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified 
unto me, and I unto the world. ' ' Gal. 6 : 14. How 
true! When man accepts Christ he is by him sepa- 
rated from the world. Jesus was not of the world. 
He was the light of the world. The world was in 
darkness. Light is the opposite of darkness. Had he 
been of the world and like the world he would not 
have been a light. Christians are said to be "the 
light of the world," and are to shine as lights in 
the world. They are lights in the world because 
of the righteous principles they possess and manifest. 
They are like Jesus and in as direct contrast to the 
world as he. The Savior says, "I have given them 
thy word ; and the world hath hated them, because 
they are not of the world, even as I am not of the 
world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them 
out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them 
from the evil. They are not of the world even as I am 
not of the world." John 17: 14-16. 

It is impossible for the heart's affections to be cen- 
tered upon opposing natures. For instance, it is 
impossible for man to admire honesty and dishonesty ; 
to love temperance and intemperance; to enjoy peace 
and strife. It is equally impossible for man to both 
love and possess sin and righteousness. "No man 
can serve two masters: for either he will hate the 
one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the 
one, and despise the other. Ye can not serve God 
and mammon. ' ' Mat. 6 : 24. It is impossible to love 



224 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

God and the world: "Love not the world, neither the 
things that are in the world. If any man love the 
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all 
that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the 
lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the 
Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth 
away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the 
will of God abideth forever." 1 John 2: 15-17. "For 
do I now persuade men, or God ? or do I seek to please 
men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the 
servant of Christ. ' ' Gal. 1 : 10. Ye adulterers and 
adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the 
world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will 
be a friend of the world is the enemy of God." Jas. 
4:4. 

These are plain declarative texts. It is not meant 
by them that Christians do not love sinners and can 
not be friends to them. Christ loved and died for 
sinners. He visited them in their homes while here on 
earth, but never did he approve of their sinful ways. 
He never participated with them in anything that was 
worldly. He was not influenced by the world into any 
spirit of worldly merriment. He loved the souls of 
men, but he did not love the world. He was holy, 
harmless, undenled, and separate from sinners." 
Heb. 7 : 26. Christians, like Christ, love mankind, 
and are friendly and treat with respect and kindness 
the sinner, but never participate with him, nor be- 
come influenced in sinful, worldly ways. The affec- 
tions of the Christian are set on things above. Col. 3 : 1. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 225 

PERSECUTIONS. 

In the early ministry of the Savior there is an inti- 
mation that the righteous shall be persecuted. It is 
found in these words: "Blessed are they which are 
persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the 
kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall 
revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all man- 
ner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. ' ' Mat. 5 : 
10, 11. From whence may the righteous expect these 
persecutions? We learned in the preceding subject 
that Christians were not of the world. "We learn 
also by the Scriptures that they are hated by the 
world. Jesus was hated by the world because of the 
light of Christian virtue and righteousness that shone 
through him. Those that glorify God by reflecting 
the righteousness of Christ to the world will be re- 
garded with the same feeling. "If the world hate 
you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." 
John 15 : 18. In every age of the world, from the 
days of Cain and Abel to the present, true Christians 
have been hated and persecuted by the wicked, and 
especially by false worshipers. 

We will farther quote the language of the Savior: 
"If ye were of the world, the world would love his 
own : but because ye are not of the world, but I have 
chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hat- 
eth you. Remember the word I said unto you, The 
servant is not greater than his Lord. If they have 
§3 



226 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they 
have kept my saying, they will keep yours also. 
But all these things will they do unto you for my 
name's sake, because they know not him that sent 
me." John 15:19-21. When pretended worshipers 
of God are free from persecutions for Christ's sake 
it is because they are worshipers in form only, but 
in spirit they are worldly. In truth these people are 
usually foremost in persecuting the true children of 
God. Jesus was persecuted and hated by the very pre- 
tentious Pharisees and Sadducees. "He came unto his 
own, and his own received him not." John 1:11. 
Those who professed to be children of Abraham 
sought to take the Savior's life. John 8:39, 40. 
Because Jesus by a pure, holy life rebuked sin, be- 
cause he in burning words of Heaven's glorious truth 
exposed the hypocrisy of the proud Jews, because 
he told them of their sins, they gnashed upon him 
with their teeth; they told him he had a devil; tihey 
spit upon him ; they smote him ; they mocked him ; 
they placed a crown of thorns upon his brow, and 
were the instigators of his death. 

Jesus says to his own beloved followers: "If they 
have persecuted me, they will also persecute you." 
John 15: 20. "If they have called the master of the 
house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call 
them of his household?" Mat. 10: 25. "And ye shall 
be hated of all men for my name's sake." Luke 21: 
17. Those who live like Jesus, those who will boldly 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 227 

declare the truth of the gospel, and rebuke sin and 
hypocrisy, they shall receive persecutions from wick- 
ed men, and cold, proud-hearted professors, as did 
the Savior. "Yea, and all that will live godly in 
Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution." 2 Tim. 3:12, 

Christians must suffer the taunts of a sinful world, 
but they "rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of 
Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be 
revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are 
ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon 
you." 1 Pet. 4:13, 14. "Blessed are ye when men 
shall hate you, and when they shall separate you 
from their company, and shall reproach you, and 
cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake. 
Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy : for, behold, 
your reward is great in heaven : for in the like man- 
ner did their fathers unto the prophets." Luke 
6 : 22, 23. 

One evening, shortly after God by his saving grace 
had separated us from the world and bestowed his 
righteousness upon us, we for Christ's sake received 
insults and abuse from the wicked. We turned away 
from our persecutors and entered the privacy of our 
home, when a rich glory rested in such a heavenly 
sweetness upon our souls that we cried out, "0 God, 
why am I so wonderfully blessed ? ' ' The answer came : 
"If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy 
are ye ; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth 



228 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

upon you." "Rejoice ye in that day and leap for 
joy. ' ' The grace and glory that was poured out upon 
our soul on this occasion would have made the coals 
and flames of martyrdom a bed of sweet repose. 

Stephen as he faced death at the hands of cruel 
persecutors, saw the glory of God and the heavens 
opened and saw the Son of man for whose sake he 
was now stoned! Paul and Silas with their feet 
made fast in the stocks at midnight prayed and sang 
praises to God. Is it not an occasion of wonder and 
astonishment how the bigoted zeal of deceived and 
blinded, high-minded professors leads them to become 
the most vile persecutors of the righteous? Paul per- 
secuted the church of God and wasted it. He 
thought he was doing God's service. The children 
of God in every. age have received their persecutions 
from religious bigots, and so will it ever be. We 
rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer for Jesus' sake. 
We glory in the midst of tribulations. The Spirit of 
God and of glory rests upon the devoted Christian 
in affliction's furnace, and a bright, blessed hope of 
great eternal reward ever cheers and nerves his 
faltering soul. He, who, in this dark world will 
suffer with the Savior shall share a blissful eternity 
with him, 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 229 

AMUSEMENTS. 

The affections of a Christian's heart are set on 
things above, and not on things on the earth. Col. 
3:2. The entertainments, such as suppers, festi- 
vals, parties, concerts, regardless of what may be the 
ultimate object, are engaged in and enjoyed only by 
the worldly minded and graceless hearted. "She 
that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." 
1 Tim. 5 : 6. Those who find enjoyment in the 
amusements afforded by the world are without spirit- 
ual life. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl 
for your miseries that shall come upon you. . . . 
Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wan- 
ton. ' ' Jas. 5 : 1, 5. A life of pleasure here on the 
earth in wantonness is directly opposed to a life 
with Christ. "No man can serve two masters." 
People who participate in and enjoy the socials, the 
suppers, the fairs, and picnics, the Christmas fes- 
tivities and church entertainments of the present time 
have but little or no comprehension of true Chris- 
tianity. They are ignorant of God's true character 
and the power and beauty of his holiness. Children 
of God are to live "soberly, righteously, and godly 
in this present world. ' ' Titus 2 : 12. 

Revelry is one of the fruits of the flesh, which 
if borne in our life, or, in other words, if we engage 
in, Paul tells us we shall never inherit the kingdom 
of God. Gal. 5 : 21. Peter tells us that the time of 



230 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

his life when he walked in sin, when he indulged 
in the lusts of the flesh was sufficient to have wrought 
the will of the Gentiles, to walk in lusts and engage 
in revelings and banquetings. Salvation saved him 
from such a life, and his former worldly associates 
think it. strange that he will not engage with them 
in the worldly riotousness and pleasures any longer, 
and because he is saved from such a course they 
speak evil of him. This is the substance of 1 Pet. 
4 : 1-4. The gay scenes of a worldly life with their 
pleasures and mirth have no delight for the heart 
filled with Christian love. He who loves God has no 
love for worldly sports. The pleasurable society of 
Jesus destroys all taste for the society of the world. 
The Christian's walk is alone with God. 

CONVERSATION. 

An individual saved by grace will experience a 
marked change in his language. The apostle says 
that in the time of his life when he walked according 
to the world he had his conversation in the lusts of the 
flesh. Eph. 2 : 2, 3. It is true the word " conversation ' ' 
in this text, and many others, is by many translators 
rendered ' ' conduct, ' ' which is a more correct transla- 
tion. But this is made to include the words of speech. 
' ' Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speak- 
eth." Mat. 12:34. "Where worldliness and foolish- 
ness is lodged in the heart it will be manifest in the 
conversation. Gay, frivolous, foolish talk, mirthful 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 231 

stories, and language in jest, indicate a graceless heart. 
Listen at the world in conversation. Note the idle 
bywords, the slang phrases, the jestings, the gay, 
giddy, foolish expressions, the low and impure speech, 
which is all foreign to the kingdom of grace. Man is 
not to be known by his profession, but by his fruits : 
' * Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. ' ' 
Mat. 7 : 20. Thus we know regardless of profession, 
when man's conversation is as the above, that he is 
destitute of God's pure love and grace. 

"Be ye holy in all manner of conversation, ' ' is the 
command of God's holy Word as recorded in 1 Pet. 
1 : 15. From a pure heart can only flow a pure and 
holy speech. "Let no corrupt communication pro- 
ceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the 
use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the 
hearers. ' ' Eph. 4 : 29. Our words are to be in such 
gravity and sincerity, in such depth of wisdom, and 
so flavored with the seasoning qualities of grace as 
to be elevating or inspiring to a higher degree of 
piety the listener. "Let your speech be alway with 
grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye 
ought to answer every man." Col. 4: 6. God's saving 
grace effects a change in the heart, and as a natural 
result a change in the conversation. Paul no longer 
walked according to the course of this world in con- 
versation when saved by the grace of God. 

Where there are amusing stories told, idle ex- 
pressions, unmeaning remarks, jestings and jokings, 



232 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

regardless of the assumed sanctity in the hour of pub- 
lic worship, it is a life after the manner of the world, 
and betrays a heart devoid of God's sober, solemn, 
holy presence, and the sanctimonious appearance on 
sacred occasions is but an effort of the human will, 
and not the deep piety and spontaneous reverence of 
the heart. Jesus said that for every idle word that 
men shall speak they shall give an account thereof in 
the day of judgment: "For by thy words thou shalt 
be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be con- 
demned." Mat. 12 : 36, 37. "Youngmen likewise exhort 
to be sober-minded. In all things, showing thyself a 
pattern of good works: in doctrine showing uncor- 
ruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that can 
not be condemned." Titus 2:6-8. "But fornication, 
and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once 
named among you, as become th saints ; neither filthi- 
ness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not 
convenient." Eph. 5 : 3, 4. Slang phrases, gay, friv- 
olous, foolish talking, and unholy conversation is de- 
grading to society, disgraceful to Christianity, and a 
shame and a reproach to any people. 

DRESS. 

When the new birth is experienced a marked change 
is made in the life. The individual is made a new 
creature, old things are passed away and all things 
become new. The heart that loved this world is gone, 
and a heart filled with the love of God and heaven 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 233 

takes its place. The radical change effected within 
the heart will affect the exterior man. "Make clean 
the inside of the cup and platter and the outside will 
be clean also." "Out of the heart are the issues of 
life." "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh." It is impossible for a proud heart to re- 
ceive the grace of God. "God resisteth the proud, 
and giveth grace to the humble. ' ' 1 Pet. 5 : 5. The 
wonderful salvation of God which changes the heart 
will also change the manner of dress, if the dress 
formerly was worldly, which is very natural. The 
dear Lord has been so very careful to distinguish his 
loved children from the world and make them a shin- 
ing light that he has given them plain directions how 
to dress. What a privilege the Christian has in obey- 
ing God in what is considered the "little things" of 
his Word, which however small are of such impor- 
tance as to cause the eternal loss of the soul if wilfully 
disobeyed. 

Respecting the manner of Christian dress we will 
quote from 1 Tim. 2 : 9, 10 : " In like manner also, that 
women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with 
shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, 
or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh 
women professing godliness) with good works." This 
is a much abused and wrested scripture. The proud- 
hearted, who have endeavored to persuade themselves 
to believe they are Christians, have surmised and 
planned to enforce upon themselves the conclusion that 



234 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

God did not here mean what he has said. In earlier 
days when the human systems of religion were more 
consistent with the Word of God such texts were in- 
corporated in their creeds, but so deep has been their 
plunge into the whirlpool of worldliness that they 
are rejected from both Bible and creed. Many tell 
us that this was for the women in the primitive days 
of Christianity when it was the custom to plait the 
hair with gold and silver strands. This is only a 
ready sophistry to allure the soul. We will admit 
it was for women in the early days of Christianity, 
but we deny it is any less for women and men also in 
any other day. With respect to Christianity some 
people are shamefully dishonest. All the duties and 
sacrifices not congenial to a proud heart they are glad 
to impose upon the Christians of some past or future 
time, but all the blessings God has promised the saint 
they would gladly receive in this present time. 

The Christian is commanded to dress in "modest 
apparel " ' ■ with shamef acedness. ' ' It frequently hap- 
pens that people become so boldly proud that they 
can dress in the height of fashion and profess to be 
Christians without a shame upon their face. One who 
is really and truly saved will dress in modest apparel, 
while humility, meekness, and modesty are depicted 
in loveliness upon their countenance. Those who 
adorn themselves in pearls and gold and costly array 
usually bear a proud, disdainful look. When redeemed 
by grace the fashionable dress and proud look give 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 235 

place to a sweet Christian modesty. A humble heart 
and a fashionable dress are incompatible. Shame- 
facedness is derived from aidos in the Greek, and 
has "modesty" and "h#shfulness ,, for its primary 
meaning. 

How beautifully the teachings of the apostles har- 
monize. Peter tells us that the Christian's adorning 
should be the hidden man of the heart adorned by a 
meek and quiet spirit. This man in the heart, hidden 
as he is, does however reveal himself. "Out of the 
heart are the issues of life. ' ' When the heart is meek 
and humble, lowliness, gentleness, and modesty will 
be seen in the countenance. A meek, modest, Christ- 
like countenance under a fashionably decorated hat 
is the greatest incongruity. With shamefacedness the 
Christian is to be adorned with sobriety. 

Fashionable dress is directly the opposite of so- 
briety. This word is translated from the Greek word 
sophron, which is properly denned, soundness of 
mind. The weary toil and labor that many undergo 
to earn money and then make the unnecessary ex- 
penditure in buying costly, fashionable dress does 
certainly betray a lack of wisdom, which might in re- 
ality be termed an unsoundness of mind. Gold and 
pearls and costly array is intemperance in dress. In- 
stead of dressing in sobriety many are crazed or 
drunken on the spirit of worldliness in dress. There 
is a beautiful consistency in Christianity, but how in- 
consistent with divine things is the expenditure of 



236 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

money for the adornment of the physical being. No 
one can spend money for gold rings and chains and 
charms, for pearls and beads, for plumed hats, and 
such like, with the number around that are destitute, 
penniless, and starving, without incurring the dis- 
pleasure of a merciful God. Man shall have to give 
an account in the day of awful judgment how he has 
expended the money the Lord has entrusted to his 
care. In the purchasing of any unnecessary article 
of dress there will be a reproving of the Spirit 
unless the heart is so intoxicated with the love of self 
that it is unconscious of the things and voice of God. 
Ah, how shamefully inconsistent with the tender- 
heartedness and sympathizing spirit of Christianity 
in this lavishing of charms and adornments upon self ! 
Our dress should be only such as is necessary 
for protection and health. Going about in the world 
doing good in all humility of heart, modest and un- 
assuming in our manners and dress, making ourselves 
as little conspicuous as possible, but lifting up Jesus 
everywhere, is the true Christian life. 

SECRET ORDERS. 

The present-day institutions known as ''Secret 
Orders, ' ' are of an earthly, worldly origin. They are 
one of the things of this world which man can not 
love and continue in the love of God. Within those 
secret organizations are bundled together by strong 
oaths the professed Christian, the infidel, the lawyer, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 237 

the doctor, the saloon-keeper, the gambler, and almost 
every character upon the earth. By the bonds of this 
secret union the preacher is made a brother with an 
infidel. The apostle Paul tells us, ' * Be ye not unequal- 
ly yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellow- 
ship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and 
what communion hath light with darkness? and 
what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part 
hath he that believeth with an infidel?" 2 Cor. 6: 
14, 15. 

The preacher who professes to believe in God is 
here having a part with an infidel contrary to the 
Word of God. You who are professing to be a light 
in the world, how can you in the fear of God take 
the oaths necessary to make you a member of a secret 
order? How can you join in the worldly hurrah and 
laughter, and foolish, ungodly pranks as played upon 
the candidate within the secret walls? What do you 
think of a preacher, or layman, becoming the laughing- 
stock of infidels, lawyers, saloon-keepers, drunkards, 
and gamblers, as he trembles beneath the blindfold? 
What kind of light are they letting shine ? I appeal to 
your reason and common sense. Is it Christlike ? Do 
you think Jesus would engage in such dark works? 
Some have charged the Savior withbeing a freemason. 
Such is a libelous statement. In Isa. 45 : 19, the Lord 
says, "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of 
the earth: ... I the Lord speak righteousness, I 
declare things that are right." Christ only speaks 



238 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

the things that are right and never the dark, un- 
godly oaths and sayings of the secret lodge. Again, 
the Savior said, ' ' I spake openly to the world ; I ever 
taught in the synagogue, and in the temple, whither 
the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said 
nothing. ' ' John 18 : 20. Jesus spake nothing in secret, 
and to charge him with having connection with the 
dark, secret mysteries of masonry is as slanderous as 
the charge made by the people who said, ' ' Thou hast a 
devil." John 7: 20. The Savior not only knew that 
men would, in order to defend their unrighteous 
systems, charge him with having a devil, but he also 
knew that for the same purpose men would charge 
him with having connections with such systems ; there- 
fore he said, to uncloak the falsity of such charges, 
"Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he 
is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the 
secret chambers ; believe it not. ' ' Mat. 24 : 26. Jesus 
gives commandment to preach upon the housetop 
what ye hear in the ear. Mat. 10 : 27. " For God shall 
bring every work into judgment, with every secret 
thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." 
Eccl. 12 : 14. 

It is not the mission of this work to reveal the 
awful oaths and secret works of these various orders. 
Other men by many volmnes have done this. We 
only hope to help you to see that secrecy is contrary 
to the Bible and the Spirit of Christ and Christianity. 
It is a thing of the world and conducted on a worldly 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 239 

basis. Connected with many of these orders are life 
insurances— a thing of the world. The Christian is 
separated from the world and Christ becomes his all 
in all. To make prominent the good qualities of their 
secret systems men tell us of their obligations to help 
their brother and his family. How these orders pro- 
vide help for a man in time of need, and how true 
each member is to his obligation, etc. Such might 
do if there were no God nor Christianity. Secrecy pro- 
vides only for its own members. Salvation provides 
for all. A member of a secret order is undc no ob- 
ligation from his order to visit a poor sick man by the 
way who is not a member of his order, but is under 
obligation to visit and care for a sick fellow member, 
though he be rich. We see no Christianity in this. 
We see no humanity. It is having respect of persons, 
forbidden by Scripture. Humanity, and much more 
Christianity, will not only send man to do good to the 
rich, but to the poor also, be they of any class or na- 
tion. A man that is a Christian will visit the sick 
and afflicted, no matter what may be their station in 
life. 

If a man thinks he is a light in the world because 
he is true to the obligations of his secret order in 
visiting and administering to the needs of his sick 
brother, he is very much deceived. Such is a false 
light. When a man has to place himself under such 
solemn oaths to do good, it proves that he has but 
little or no humanity. "Ho good to all men," is the 



240 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

spirit of Christianity. A man need not take the obli- 
gations of a secret order to be furnished with the qual- 
ifications for doing good. The Word of God is all that 
is needed for reproof, correction, and instruction, that 
a man may be thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works. 2 Tim. 3 : 16, 17. A man need not seek mem- 
bership in some secret organization in order to be pro- 
vided for in his old days, or his family in case of his 
death. The Psalmist says, "I have been young, and 
now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous for- 
saken, nor his seed begging bread. ' ' Paul says, ' ' But 
my God shall supply all your need. ' ' Phil. 4 : 19. 
"Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye 
separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean 
thing ; and I will receive you, and will be a Father un- 
to you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith 
the Lord Almighty." 2 Cor. 6: 17, 18. "They are not 
of the world, even as I am not of the world." John 
17:16. 



CHAPTER XI. 
THE DOMESTIC RELATION. 



When we speak of home life with its relations and 
duties we are not digressing from the subject of gos- 
pel light. Nowhere does the light of Christianity shine 
so peaceful and beautiful as in the home. Nowhere 
is the power of its influence so felt as in the home cir- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 241 

cle. The public worship of Christians is an inspiring 
scene, but nothing apparently is so heavenly as the sa- 
cred family altar. A father and mother whose hearts 
are filled with holy love together with happy, obedient 
children bowing together at the shrine of devotion is 
the most imposing scene the eye and heart can witness. 

MARRIAGE. 

The union of man and woman in marriage is the 
work of the Creator. God saw after he had created 
man that it was not good for him to be alone. Such 
was his constitution. So he made a helpmeet for 
him. God from the rib of man made woman and 
brought her unto him, who said, "This is now bone 
of my bones, and flesh of my flesh : she shall be called 
Woman, because she was taken out of Man. There- 
fore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and 
shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one 
flesh." Gen. 2:22-24. 

In conjunction with the divine institution of mar- 
riage there is also a legal institution. While the civil 
contract is acceptable unto God by way of prevent- 
ing promiscuous sexual intercourse, it is powerless to 
make both one flesh and bone. It is only the power of 
God that can make two hearts to beat as one. By the 
power of his grace he makes Christians of ' ' one heart 
and one soul," and of man and woman he makes 
"one flesh and bone." The apostle to illustrate the 
blessed union of Christ and the church makes use 



242 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

of the union of man and wife. "They two shall be 
one flesh." Eph. 5:31. "Man shall leave his fa- 
ther and mother and shall be joined unto his wife." 
The union between husband and wife is stronger 
than between parent and child. The all-wise God 
has a design in all his works. He reveals to man 
in his Word his purpose in the union of man and 
wife. One object in the marriage union, as we have 
before said, is to prevent promiscuous sexual com- 
merce. ' ' Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every 
man have his own wife, and let every woman have her 
own husband. ' ' 1 Cor. 7 : 2. The union of man and 
woman is a holy and sacred institution, however 
the union of Christ and the church is still a higher 
and more important work of God. Therefore Paul 
advises all who can live a pure life in an unmarried 
state they can be more useful to God, for he careth 
for the things that belong to the Lord, how he may 
please the Lord. But he that is married careth for 
the things that are of the world, how he may please 
his wife. 

Another object in the divine mind for uniting 
male and female is for the purpose of procreation. 
' ' And God blessed . them, and God said unto them, 
Be fruitful, and multiply and replenish the earth." 
Gen. 1 : 28. Alas ! how few properly reverence and 
esteem the divine purpose. Marriages are too often 
contracted for the comforts of a home, or for af- 
fluence, or for elevation in society, or, worst of all, for 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 243 

the gratification of lustful desires. Of such too 
many murderously resort to the devices of art to 
thwart the designs of the Creator. Procreation was 
the highest purpose in the divine mind for the un- 
ion of man and wife. For this purpose he implant- 
ed in their natures a sexual desire. They who avoid 
to act this part in life come short of the purpose of 
their creation. 

DIVORCE. 

Because the contracting parties at the marriage 
shrine do not feel and have not properly considered 
the obligations and responsibilities of a married life, 
but enter in from selfish desires, then finding it at- 
tended with cares and responsibilities they do not 
care to bear, they seek opportunities for release. The 
legal union is often severed by the same authority 
as was given. But as the civil power can not cre- 
ate two hearts into one, nor make of twain "one flesh 
and bone," neither can such authorities create two 
of what has been made one. The law of Heaven is, 
What God hath joined together, let not man put 
asunder. Mat. 19 : 6. 

The Word of God fixes death as the limit to the 
bond of union. "For the woman which hath a hus- 
band is bound by the law to her husband so long as 
he liveth ; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed 
from the law of her husband. So then if while her 
husband liveth, she be -married to another man, she 



244 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be 
dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no 
adulteress, though she be married to another man. ' ' 
Rom. 7 : 2, 3. "The wife is bound by the law as long 
as her husband liveth; but if her husband be dead, 
she is at liberty to be married to whom she will ; only 
in the Lord." 1 Cor. 7:39. "And he [Jesus] saith 
unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and 
marry another, committeth adultery against her. 
And if a woman shall put away her husband, and 
be married to another, she committeth adultery." 
Mark 10 : 11, 12. In Mat. 19 : 9, we read, "And I say 
unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except 
it be for fornication, and shall marry another, com- 
mitteth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is 
put away doth commit adultery." 

Some have thought there was a lack of harmony 
in the teaching of Jesus as recorded by Mark and 
Matthew. Mark makes the plain statement that who- 
soever puts away his wife and marries another com- 
mits adultery. He makes no exceptions. Matthew 
says, "Except it be for fornication." There is no 
disagreement here. It is the prominent thought each 
has that makes the difference in the statements. The 
truth that Mark wishes to teach is that there is no 
just cause for a man marrying who has a divorced 
wife. The plain statement is if a man puts away his 
wife and marries another he commits adultery. 
There is no exception. There is no just cause for 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 245 

his marrying, and if he does it is adultery, no matter 
what may be the cause of divorcement. The truth 
that Matthew teaches is that there is one just cause 
for putting away the wife. This is a just cause for 
putting her away, but not for marrying again. Eve- 
ry one that divorces his wife, even though it be 
for fornication, and marries another violates Mark 
10: 11 and Luke 16: 18. A man may put away his 
wife for fornication, and not transgress a single text 
in the Bible. Fornication is the only just cause for 
man to put away his wife, or the wife the husband. 

Some have fallen into the dangerous, error of put- 
ting away the wife because the Scriptures say, ''Be 
ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers. ' ' 
2 Cor. 6 : 14. This is a wrong application of this text. 
No doubt but it does forbid the unmarried Christian 
yoking up with an unbeliever, as in 1 Cor. 7 : 39 the 
woman whose husband is dead is at liberty to marry 
whom she will; only in the Lord. However, it does 
not teach the breaking of the marriage yoke. Matthew 
gives the only cause. Paul says, "If any brother 
hath a wife that believeth not, and she be pleased 
to dwell with him, let him not put her away. And 
the woman which hath a husband that believeth not, 
and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not 
leave him." 1 Cor. 7:12, 13. 

A man once told us that God showed him to leave 
his wife. (She was a true wife.) He was decidedly 
mistaken and should have tried the spirit. "What 



246 THE GOSPEL, DAY; OR, 

therefore God hath joined together, let not man put 
asunder." The word joined is from the Greek 
suzeugnuo, and means "yoked together." This yoke 
man can not break. When God by his saving grace 
unites a soul with Christ, no man can break the bond 
of union. Sin, and sin only, will sever the tie that 
binds them together. When God unites husband 
and wife into one flesh and bone, no civil court can 
break the bond. When woman has become so untrue 
to her husband and false to her marriage vow as to 
have sexual connection with another man, God allows 
such an unchaste sin, and such a sin only, to dissolve 
the union. Why is fornication the only just cause 
for disuniting husband and wife? Why is sin the 
only cause of separation between Christ and the 
Christian ? It is because the design of God in send- 
ing his Son to the world was to destroy and prevent 
sin. Then of necessity when his purpose fails there 
can be no union. The design of the Almighty in in- 
stituting marriage was to secure a legitimate popula- 
tion of the world, or to prevent the lewd, indiscrim- 
inate sexual intercourse. When this purpose fails 
the object of marriage fails, and there can be no 
union. 



Brooklets joining form the river, 
Eivers joining form the sea; 

Love uniting hearts together 
Beat as one eternally. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 247 

God by law of his creation 

Creates in one the happy twain; 

Hand and heart they are united 
As they pass adown life's stream. 

See the flowers greet each other, 

And the sunlight kiss the sea; 
See the waves clasp one another, 

Why not hearts united be? 

Birds in springtime mate each other, 

'Tis a law decreed above; 
For the sake of procreation 

God creates connubial love. 

DUTIES OP THE HUSBAND TO THE WIFE. 

Great are the responsibilities resting upon the hus- 
band. The wife is termed the "weaker vessel," unto 
whom the husband is to give honor and to dwell with 
according to knowledge. 1 Pet. 3 : 7. The Word of 
God gives instruction how the husband should dwell 
with the wife. It is his duty to glean knowledge 
from the same and dwell with her accordingly. He 
is her example. She looks unto him as her instruc- 
tor, both in precept and example. She is to be hon- 
ored by receiving the benefits, by way of counsel, sup- 
port and protection, of his superior strength. He 
in his strong, courageous construction, and she in 
her feminine frailty, are both heirs together of the 
grace of life. When each understand their true po- 
sition and dwell together according to knowledge 
their prayers rise unhindered to the throne of grace. 



248 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

The Scriptures grant man authority over the wife : 
"But I would have you know, that the head of every 
man is Christ ; and the head of the woman is the man ; 
and the head of Christ is God." 1 Cor. 11: 3. "For 
the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ 
is the head of the church." Eph. 5: 23. You under- 
stand the protection and care Christ has for his bride 
— the church; in like manner man is responsible for 
the protection and care of the wife. He takes the 
position of head of the wife as Christ takes the po- 
sition of head of the church— -in love. "Husbands, 
love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, 
and gave himself for it." Eph. 5:25. "Husbands, 
love your wives, and be not bitter against them." 
Col. 3 : 19. The love of the husband must be as deep 
and true for the wife as the love of Christ for the 
church. He gave himself for it. Man considers not 
his life for the care and protection of his wife when 
he loves her. Where there is bitterness there is want- 
ing true love. Bitterness drives love and heaven 
away from the home. ' ' Let all bitterness, and wrath, 
and anger, and clamor, and evil speaking, be put 
away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one 
to another, tender-hearted." Eph. 4:31, 32. 

Man should take the wife into his confidence and 
entrust her with the secrets of his private life. He 
should respect and regard her counsel. Jacob has 
given us an example. Gen. 31. Elkanah has set us 
an example of comforting the wife. 1 Sam. 1:8. It 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 249 

is a comparatively easy thing, unless you are abound- 
ing in the love of God, to become neglectful of the 
comfort, welfare and happiness of the wife. She in 
her tender, sympathetic nature seeks for attention 
and delights in being loved. Do not therefore be 
sparing in your attention toward her. The fond, 
affectionate wife will meet the duties, trials, afflic- 
tions and responsibilities of life without a murmur 
does she but know that she is loved. Enter into her 
joys and sorrows with a regard. "Let thy fountain 

be blessed : and rejoice with the wife of thy youth 

Be thou ravished always with her love." Prov. 5: 
18, 19. Malachi exhorts the husband to faithfulness. 
"Yet ye say, Wherefore? Because the Lord hath 
been witness between thee aud the wife of thy youth, 
against whom thou hast dealt treacherously: yet is 
she thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant." 
chap. 2 : 14. Such are some of the duties of a hus- 
band, and he who has cast aside regard for such du- 
ties, is a stranger to the covenant of grace. 

DUTIES OF THE WIFE TO THE HUSBAND. 

It is a just cause of lament that so comparatively 
few wives have a perfect knowledge of their right- 
ful position in the domestic circle. We will briefly 
give a few texts from the Holy Book showing the wife 
her true place in the family and her duty toward 
her husband, trusting God to give her a desire to be 
all that a wife should be. The fundamental principle 



250 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

is love. Without sincere, conjugal love she can 
scarcely fill the mission of wife. When woman be- 
comes a wife she takes a position fraught with the 
greatest responsibilities. Oh, how many idle dream- 
ers take such positions with little feeling, thought or 
comprehension of its responsibilities, and pass through 
life away below the true mission of a wife. The in- 
struction of the inspired apostle is that the young 
women be sober, love their husbands, love their 
children, be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, 
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God 
be not blasphemed. Titus 2:4, 5. 

Such are the demands of the young wife made by 
the Word of God. The demand made of the aged 
wives is that they set a proper example in all these 
things. When they do not fill these demands the 
Word of God is blasphemed. When wives profess- 
ing to be Christians and a light in the world are neg- 
lectful of home, of husband and children, they bring 
Christianity into disrepute. Wives are commanded 
to be sober. Instead of sobriety how often we see 
them gay, silly, foolish and worldly-minded. Their 
thoughts are trashy, and their conversation the same ; 
talking about one another, busybodies, no depth of 
thought or feeling of their mission in life, but are 
concerned more about the fashions^ and society than 
the duties of home. Such characters disgrace the 
cause of Christ. True love will manifest itself, and 
where the wife loves the husband, home is her dearest 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 251 

place. Her great life work is to make home happy and 
attractive. She has a deep regard for the comforts 
of her lord, and love lightens all her labor for him. 
The true wife loves her children, which will also 
find its manifestation. 

Among the coarse and vulgar we have heard moth- 
ers in provocation speak thus to their children: 
"Haven't you any sense?" "You are the foolishest 
thing I ever saw." "I'll box your head off." "I'll 
beat you to death." "I wish you were dead," and 
other like expressions. Such is awful language, but 
it has escaped the lips of many a mother. Before the 
public they like to appear gentle, mild and sweet 
tempered, while in the privacy of their homes they are 
snarly, snappish and cross. When it pleases God to 
remove one of their little ones to a more peaceful 
home above they mourn most bitterly; more because 
of remorse of conscience than from a fountain of 
pure love. There is, however, many a mother who 
longs to be tender and kind to her loved ones, but 
because of her bondage to the tyrannical power of 
an ill, impatient temper, she utters, under provoca- 
tion, unfeeling, inhuman speech toward her little ones. 
In her calmer hours she weeps because of bondage. 
To all such we would say, There is help for you in 
God. Jesus can set you free. Yield yourself to him. 
He will pardon your sins and sweeten your life by his 
grace. To be discreet, wise, prudent, selecting the 
best means to accomplish a noble purpose is the wife's 
mission in her home. 



252 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

The wife is a type of the church. "Let us be glad 
and rejoice, and give honor to him : for the mar- 
riage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made 
herself ready." Rev. 19 : 7. "Come hither, and I will 
show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he car- 
ried me away in the spirit to a great and high moun- 
tain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jeru- 
salem, descending out of heaven from God." Rev. 
21 : 9, 10. The husband is to love the wife as Christ 
loved the church; and as the church reverences and 
obeys, is faithful and subject to Christ, the wife is to 
reverence, obey and be faithful and subject to her 
husband. ' ' Nevertheless let every one of you in partic- 
ular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see 
that she reverence her husband." "Wives, submit 
yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 
Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so 
let the wives be to their own husbands in every 
thing." Eph. 5:22, 24. "Wives, submit yourselves 
unto your own husbands, as it is fit in the Lord." 
Col. 3: 18. "Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to 
your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, 
they also may without the Avord be won by the con- 
versation [conduct] of the wives." 1 Pet. 3:1. 

Such is the true position of the wife, giving the 
husband reverence. This means to fear. Not the 
slavish fear, but a fear in love, like as one would 
fear God whom he loved with all his heart. Fear to 
purposely displease him. Fear to wilfully neglect 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 253 

him. Fear to obstinately disobey him. To be in 
subjection with reverence. Such words are full of 
solid thought, and we would ask every wife to wisely 
consider them, especially if she places any value upon 
Christianity. The husband is to command in love. 
She is to obey in fear. He is to govern without giv- 
ing vexation, and she is to be in subjection without 
feeling herself a slave. He is to watch over her con- 
duct and guard her from every act that would be 
damaging to her character or her soul. She is to 
trust in him, and obey. 

Let the wife be in subjection, 
Let the husband give protection; 
He to honor, love, defend, 
She to trust him to the end. 

The humble apostle, after exhorting the wives to be 
in subjection to their husbands, commands them to 
not adorn themselves by plaiting the hair or wearing 
gold or apparel. 1 Pet. 3 : 3. "But let it be the hidden 
man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, 
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which 
is in the sight of God of great price." ver. 4. Can 
the wife in the fear of God, profess to sincerely love 
her husband, and to be a true wife, when she is spend- 
ing his hard earnings for gold and pearls, and costly 
apparel for adornment? he to struggle against pover- 
ty, and she to embarrass him to satisfy a proud, self- 
ish heart? Such is not true love to husband nor to 
God. The wife who adorns herself with modesty and 



254 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

sobriety (1 Tim. 2:9), with a meek and quiet spirit 
(1 Pet. 3:4, 5), with good works (1 Tim. 2: 10) is a 
blessing to her husband. "A virtuous woman is a 
crown to her husband. ' ' Prov. 12 : 4. " Who can find 
a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. 
The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, 
so that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do 
him good and not evil all the days of her life. ' ' Prov. 
31:10-12. "A prudent wife is from the Lord." 
Prov. 19 : 14. 

DUTY OF PARENTS TO CHILDREN. 

Great are the responsibilities of the husband. Great 
are the responsibilities of the wife, but greater are 
the responsibilities of parents. Father and mother,. 
God lays a responsibility upon you as you re- 
ceive your new-born child. A precious little immor- 
tal soul, whose eternal destiny depends largely upon 
you. The proper training of children is attended 
with many difficulties, and every parent certainly 
needs instruction from God. Your child is given you 
from God, and you in return should give him trust- 
ingly to God, like a mother of olden time: "For 
this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my 
petition which I asked of him: therefore also I have 
Lent [see margin] him to the Lord; as long as he liveth 
he shall be lent to the Lord." 1 Sam. 1: 27, 28. This 
is the consecration of children to God, which is the 
first duty of parents. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 255 

The successful training of a child, especially in 
the first years of its life, is due more to example than 
to commandment. The influence of example upon 
youthful minds is rarely comprehended. We are 
commanded to be an example in faith, purity, con- 
versation, charity, spirit, and to be a pattern of good 
works. It is the parents' duty to love their children. 
Titus 2 : 4. Perhaps every parent thinks and is ready 
to say, "I love my child." True love as required by 
the Bible comprehends more than you may have been 
aware. They who indulge their children in a worldly 
life do not love them as the Bible commands. Be- 
cause the priest Eli did not restrain his children 
from the ways of sin, God sent an awful judgment 
upon him. 1 Sam. 3. If parents love their children 
as they should they will do the very best thing for 
them. Now the instructions given in the Bible are 
the safest and best to follow. 

As you looked into the face of this thine own child 
did you remember the little treasure was a heritage 
from the Lord? "Lo, children are a heritage of the 
Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward." 
Psa. 127 : 3. It may be that you were unmindful of 
this "fruit of the womb" being a gracious heritage 
from God ; but such it was. In the creation of man 
and woman they were formed to bear offspring. When 
Esau and Jacob met after their long separation and 
enmity, Esau inquired, "Who are those with thee?" 
Jacob replied, "The children which God hath gra- 



256 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

ciously given thy servant." Gen. 33: 5. Blessed and 
happy is the man that can look into the face of the 
newly-born and feel in his heart that this is a child 
graciously given me of God. 

Because children are a heritage from the Lord is 
the real secret of the joy experienced in the parents' 
hearts when a child is born. An angel from God's 
presence anoints the spirit of man with the "oil of 
joy" when he obeys Heaven's ordained laws of pro- 
creation. Alas ! how many husbands and wives, who 
fear to meet the responsibilities involved thus upon 
them, seek to avert God's laws. And when a child 
is conceived they, instead of rejoicing as did Rachel, 
the mother of Joseph, and Mary, the mother of Jesus, 
sorrow in heart, thus allowing the enemy of human 
happiness to deprive them of the blessing God de- 
signed for them. 

God, in his own mysterious way, from the mother's 
life and blood is creating a new life. But did you 
know that at the same time he was creating an im- 
mortal soul? That new-born life contains an immor- 
tal part, and very much depends upon you as to where 
shall be its eternal existence. We want you to feel 
this deep in your hearts. God has given into your 
charge a life and a soul. When you come to appear 
before him in the day of judgment then you will have 
to render an account of how you have dealt with your 
child. Oh, what awful responsibilities! What a 
charge ! God help us ! With such a sacred trust, what 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 257 

shall we do? Like she of olden time, who petitioned 
the God of heaven for a child, carry him back to the 
Lord and there implore grace and wisdom and guid- 
ance from above to train these little feet in the way 
that leads to endless joys. 

Parents, as you look into the face of your slumber- 
ing child, and then along down through his life, what 
do you want him to become? Do you want him to 
grow up to manhood a poor, delicate, frail body with 
but little energy or vitality with which to meet the 
sterner duties of life ? Do you want him to be indo- 
lent, shiftless, unmanly and addicted to such as will 
bring him to shame, ruin and death? What! would 
you picture such a life for my innocent boy? Such 
a thought is instantly banished from you. With all 
your heart you desire him to become a true and noble 
man. You want him to be strong, full of en- 
ergy and vitality, of great mental and physical worth, 
of manly ways, of pure habits, and in every way a wor- 
thy son. Yes, that is the life you fondly picture for 
your son. Well, here he lies an infant in thine arms. 
He is at thy mercy. You can make of him about 
what you will. You can lead him in the paths of 
virtue and to a generous Christian manhood, or 
you can neglect him and allow him to go to shame 
and ruin. Let me say again that the life and destiny 
of your child depends largely upon you. You can 
make it what you will. God help and bless you : 



n 



258 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

PHYSICAL CARE. 

When your child is born then comes the care of the 
little body. It must have food. It must have 
air. It must have clothing. The supplying of 
temporal needs is a duty that falls to the fath- 
er. May he do his duty with a will and see 
that his child's health is not impaired by an in- 
sufficient amount of clothing or of food. "But if 
any provide not for his own, and especially for those 
of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is 
worse than an infidel. ' ' 1 Tim. 5 : 8. The parent that 
will not industriously make use of every legitimate 
means to secure temporal comforts, does not love his 
child. It has been known that the awful curse of to- 
bacco, opium and rum, have robbed the father and 
mother of parental love. Some may have become so in 
love or so in bondage to tobacco that they would 
rather see their child go hungry or naked than to 
deprive themselves of the accursed thing; 

Parents should acquaint themselves with hygienic 
laws and teach them to their children. Show them 
the danger of overeating, and of too frequent eating. 
Parents are destroying me health of their children 
by irregular feeding, and by nuts and candies. Teach 
the little ones to avoid sitting in a cool place when 
heated and of retaining wet clothing. Above all, 
avoid giving your child tea, coffee and "soothing 
syrup." Paregorics and laudanums pave the way 
to the formation of other bad habits. They have an 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 259 

effect which may answer your purpose at the time, 
but you gain your purpose at the cost of your child's 
vitality. If your attention has ever been called to 
the evil effects of such, you can not dope your chil- 
dren with them without bringing condemnation to 
your soul. 

Good health is a great blessing, and our heavenly 
Father wills us to observe natural health laws. Par- 
ents by carelessness can in a very short time ruin the 
health of their child forever. Oh, the misery and 
distress originating from ill health entailed upon the 
human family through the ignorance and careless- 
ness of parents is appalling. Had the writer's par- 
ents compelled their child to observe health laws in 
his youth he would enjoy better health to-day. By 
proper care and help from God he has largely over- 
come difficulties, but does not possess the strong con- 
stitution he otherwise would. 

We kindly make an earnest appeal to all parents 
to look well to the health of your children. If you 
value their happiness, and a pleasant, happy home, 
acquaint yourself with the laws of health, and follow 
them as strictly as circumstances will allow. Many 
parents care more for their children's appearance in 
public than they do for their health. Mothers follow- 
ing the pride of their heart instead of the laws of 
health expose the bodies of their children to disease. 
In public gatherings, in order to make a show of their 
rich clothing, they will not wrap them sufficiently 



260 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

to protect them from cold ; they will deform the feet 
of their little ones and bring them pain in after 
life, because of the pride of their heart. By lacing 
they will mold and shape the bodies of their daugh- 
ters after the fashion of the world, entailing upon 
them disorder and disease, weakness and woe. In all 
love, but without hesitancy, we declare that such 
shameful treatment of children is a sin and is suffi- 
cient of itself to destroy the soul. 

GOVERNMENT. 

Great wisdom is required in the government of chil- 
dren. For parents to properly govern their children 
they need that wisdom and direction which comes 
from above. There are so many different natures 
which must be controlled in as many different ways, 
making it impossible to fix certain rules for all. How- 
ever all these different dispositions among our chil- 
dren must be met. "If any man lack wisdom, let 
him ask of God." 

Many parents ask, "At what age shall we begin 
'to train and govern our child?" Wisdom makes an- 
swer, "From the beginning." You can train your 
babe to nurse regularly, say every two hours, or to 
stifle his cries, you can nurse him irregularly, and 
make him a cross, fretful babe by over and irregular 
feeding. Your babe will sleep sweetly and soundly 
upon its little bed, but you can very early accustom 
it to be rocked to sleep so it will not go to sleep un- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 261 

less it is rocked. Nature never designed that we be 
tossed to and fro in order to go to sleep. What is 
man 's experience on board a ship in a rough sea ? He 
becomes dizzy, nervous and sick, and when he steps 
upon the land he walks like a drunken man. The 
infant's first rock in the cradle has a similar effect. 
Its little muscles are strained to prevent falling. Its 
brain is dashed about until it becomes dizzy, but which 
it soon learns to enjoy because of the peculiar sen- 
sation. 

Your little babe sees some bright object and reaches 
out its little hands to take it. You know it ought not 
to have it. It may injure itself with it, so you say, 
"No, baby can not have this." Then baby begins 
to cry. You try to quiet him. You try to turn his 
mind and attention somewhere else, but, no, he keeps 
his eye on the forbidden object and cries the harder. 
At last to quiet him you give it to him, even if you 
have to hold to one end to keep him from hurting 
himself. Baby has now learned a very valuable les- 
son, which he is not going to forget. He has learned 
that if he cries long enough and hard enough he 
can obtain what he desires. 

As he grows older he becomes more determined to 
have his way. When company comes you want 
your boy to give the rocker to the lady, but no, the 
little man prefers the rocker for himself. You en- 
deavor to remove him by force, but he kicks and bites 
and holds tight and cries very loud, and you call him 



262 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

a naughty boy, and give up the struggle. Then you 
begin to tell the ladies about your boy, how he will 
have his way and you can not do anything with him; 
that you sometimes whip him, but it does not do 
him any good. You are educating your child out of 
your control. 

If you desire your child to obey you, be kind, loving 
and firm. Scolding is never in order, but does great 
harm. Unhappy and unholy is the home where chil- 
dren obey only through fear. So deal with your little 
ones that obedience is gained through love. So rarely 
is such obedience obtained that many have concluded 
it can not be accomplished. It is natural for chil- 
dren to. love their parents, and if parents deal with 
their little ones in love and kindness they can make 
home the most desirable place on earth to them. 

To rule by physical force is not government. It is 
a most pitiful sight to see a child fear and tremble 
before a parent's stern looks and cross words. There 
is a way, though but few have found it, of mingling 
tenderness with firmness that demands obedience in 
respect and love. It brings a joy to the parents' 
hearts to behold their child obeying willingly. By the 
help of God such obedience can be obtained. Some 
one may ask, "Would you never punish a child V 
Yes; it is sometimes necessary, but not so often as 
many have supposed. Training, and not arbitrary 
government is what is the more successful. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 263 

GIVE ATTENTION TO YOUE CHILD. 

It takes but little to wound the tender feelings of 
a child. It is not the angry look and cross word 
only that sends the little one away in tears; but of- 
tentimes it is neglect. What may seem to us as a 
very little thing, or small achievement, may be a very 
great thing to the child, and a notice and an encourag- 
ing word has a good and lasting effect. Your little boy 
has done a piece of work, and done it poorly enough 
to be sure, but to him it is done in the most artistic 
style. Do not depress his spirit by showing your dis- 
approval, but encourage him by telling him that it 
does very well for a child; then kindly help him to 
see how he can make it still better. 

You should not become so absorbed in your occu- 
pation that you can not stop to notice the ' newly 
drawn picture. If the child's, interruptions are too 
frequent, in kindness teach him that papa is not to 
be interrupted now. By all means show a deep inter- 
est in your children. Help them to see that you de- 
light to make things pleasant for them. Do not 
make them feel that they are servants. Have pleas- 
ant conversations with them. Read some good story 
to them, or better still, tell them one; not a "fairy- 
tale, ' ' but something real. We have seen parents who 
scarcely ever spoke to their children only when re- 
proving. Take them with you to the meeting. Take 
them with you if at all convenient when you go on 
your charitable errand. Take them for a drive. Take 



264 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

them to the woods and the fields, and there tell them 
of God. 

Many opportunities will be afforded for you to 
show an interest and an appreciation in your child. 
Give him your attention and you will win his love 
and obedience and make him feel that there is free- 
dom at home. Neglect him, treat him with indiffer- 
ence, and you will make his little heart cold and 
make him feel he is your slave. 

BE PATIENT WITH YOUR CHILD. 

For the sake of your child, your own happiness, and 
the happiness of your home, be patient. In dealing 
with your little "olive plants," "let patience have 
her perfect work," and of a truth you shall "be 
perfect and entire wanting nothing." Much of re- 
deeming grace is needed to enable the parent to be calm 
and kind under the many trying circumstances con- 
nected with the pruning and training of the "fruit 
of the womb." It is a source of great joy, however, 
to know that God 's grace is sufficient for me. 

Dear parents, the only remedy we have, to offer 
you for this qualification is the sweet controlling in- 
fluence of saving grace. When you have gained con- 
trol of your own spirit you are far on the way to 
conquer the rebellious spirit of your child. How sad 
it is that a mother who loves her child will find some- 
times a feeling of hatred in her heart against it. We 
have heard mothers in a time of provocation use such 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 265 

words as these, "You foolish thing;" You naughty 
little imp ; "' " You mean thing, I have a mind to put 
you out where the dogs will get you ; " " You do that 
again and I'll give you to the bad man;" "I'll slap 
your head off ; " "I wish you were dead, " etc. How 
awful ! Mothers, who, if their little one was sick, would 
gladly sit night after night and watch by its bed- 
side—no slumber for those eyelids now, for baby is 
very sick— when the dear one is restored to health 
and provokes the mother, she uses some of the above 
expressions, or similar ones. 

As you stand some night by the casket that con- 
tains that lifeless little body, oh, what anguish at 
heart as you remember the hasty words you have 
spoken to that dear one. How those ugly expressions 
ring in your ears. They will follow you for days in 
thought and dream. How sad that the human heart 
is of such disposition, but what joy to know that the 
precious blood of Jesus will remove all such disposi- 
tions and fill the heart with love and sweetness that 
will enable you to deal with your child in loving 
patience, even in the hour of deepest trial, and should 
you be called to its death bedside you can look into the 
pale face and then up to God without a sting of con- 
science. Parents, be firm, but be patient with your 
child. Let love shine out of every reproval and you 
will find it is not so difficult to train him and govern 
him as you supposed. 



266 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

NEVER SCOLD OR THREATEN. 

How heart-rending to see almost a constant conten- 
tion between parents and children, parents scolding 
their children for almost every little thing, and threat- 
ening to "give them to the Gypsies," or to "cut off 
their ears," or "put a split stick on their tongues," 
and many other foolish and hurtful threatenings, fa- 
ther and mother make when they are provoked. Be 
always calm in your own feelings and never be hasty 
to speak or act. When the child really needs reproval, 
take him quietly and show him the evil of such things, 
how it will lead to other bad things, and these to 
others, and should he continue in that way he would 
grow up to be a bad man. Pell him how you love him, 
and how you want to see him become a good and noble 
man, a blessing to his parents, to the community, and 
to the world. Tell him you hope he will not do those 
bad things any more, and should he do them you 
would be under obligations to punish him. 

If the child is reasoned with rightly the corporal 
punishment will not be of frequent necessity. It is 
a shame and a sin to act so hastily and punish your 
little ones in some way without patiently and coolly 
explaining matters. 

GIVE YOUR CHILD SOME PRIVILEGE. 

Do not answer, "No," to every request of your 
child. Allow them some privilege, let them engage in 
certain plays. Do not be so fastidious in your home 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 267 

that the little ones can not have a little play indoors. 
Certainly they should be taught to be clean, to remove 
dirt from their shoes before coming into the house, 
and not to tumble things all up in the room, yet they 
should not be expected to sit perfectly still. 

When the child makes a request of you that your 
wisdom decides best not to grant do not answer by a 
decided "no," but tell the little one that you think 
it not best to do so, and be firm. When you tell him 
you do not think it best do not be persuaded out of it, 
and he will soon learn that your mild "I do not think 
it best to give you that," means just as much as a 
sharp "no," but his feelings will not be disturbed 
like they are by that hasty "no." 

ALWAYS BE CALM WHEN YOU PUNISH. 

When it becomes necessary to use the rod upon your 
child be sure you possess a calmness in your soul. It 
requires much grace for true parents to whip their 
children. Before you punish them you should show 
them what great wrong they have done and how God is 
displeased, and that you do not punish them for 
your own pleasure, but because you love them. 

To the dear parents who read this we wish to ex- 
hort you to give great diligence in cultivating the 
affectionate side of your nature. Do not be careless 
and unmindful of the dear little ones ' happiness. Do 
not be cold and indifferent toward them. Enter into 
their joys and sorrows with a warm heart. Parents 



268 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

oftentimes remark when their child gets hurt in some 
way, ' ' Well it is good enough for you ; may be it will 
teach you something." Oh, may that heart be soft- 
ened to tender sympathy, so you will make the dear 
child feel how sorry you are because he has been hurt, 
then teach him how he must not engage in such things, 
and then he will avoid being injured. Your kind 
words of sympathy will relieve the pain by their in- 
fluence upon the heart. Your cold indifferent words 
make deeper wounds in the heart than were made in 
the flesh. 

Seek God in much earnest prayer to tender your 
affections, to refine your nature, to make you very 
sensitive to the feelings of your child, and to help you 
to love the tender "olive plants" round about thy 
fireside. Some day there may be a vacant chair, and 
there can be no sweeter joy on earth to your sorrowing 
heart than to know you did what you could to make 
the little one happy and train its feet for the glory 
world. 

Kind words are flowers of beauty rare; 

Keep them blooming throughout the year. 

MENTAL TRAINING. 

The mental, moral and spiritual training of children 
go hand in hand. We shall speak of them under 
separate chapters, but the one has a great influence 
upon the other. It is true, the intellectual faculties 
may be cultivated to a high degree while the moral 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 269 

powers are unimproved, but the individual is out of 
harmony with true manhood. The spiritual and 
moral being may be in a fair state of health and the 
mental powers very much dwarfed, but still he is 
not in perfect harmony with manhood as designed by 
the creative mind. Without a blending of the intel- 
lectual, moral and spiritual forces there can be no 
perfect character in the fullest sense. We do not 
mean by this that man must be a philosopher or a 
scientist to be a moral or spiritual man ; but we mean 
for man to be a perfect character in every respect 
and to glorify God in the whole realm of his being, 
he must cultivate every talent God has given him. The 
created mental powers must be improved by right 
study. In order to know and understand God we 
must have a sound mind. A sound mind is helpful 
to the enjoyment of grace, and grace is helpful to 
the enjoyment of a sound mind ; so to enjoy existence 
necessitates a soundness in every part. 

It is through the mental powers that we acquaint 
our children with God: "Faith cometh by hearing. ,, 
Parents can not be too careful about the impressions 
made in the mentality of their children; it may af- 
fect their morality and spirituality in the whole of 
after life. Select such books for them as will de- 
velop the mental faculties, something that contains 
food for the brain. There are certain articles of diet 
that do not contain sufficient nutrition for the devel- 
opment of the physical body. Children fed upon 



270 



such diet would become weakly. There is also a certain 
kind of literature that contains no brain nutriment. 
Reading such degenerates the mental powers. Stim- 
ulants or excitants are hurtful to the physical sys- 
tem. All fictitious, exciting tales are hurtful to the 
mental system. We are persuaded it were better if 
the unreal, fairy stories were excluded from our com- 
mon school readers and supplanted by something real. 
Select such literature as is pure. Reading that pro- 
duces pure thought in the child's mind not only im- 
proves his moral state, but furnishes the best mental 
food. 

Educate your children as well as you possibly can. 
It is a duty you owe to them and to God. Keep be- 
fore them the ultimate object— a developed mind for 
the glory of God. Encourage your children to an edu- 
cation. Do not think the buying of a good book an 
unnecessary expenditure. Better make a physical 
sacrifice than a mental one. Keep your children 
away from the physical, mental, moral and spiritual 
destructive party and dance by interesting them in 
sound and pure literature and providing it for them. 
If your children show a disposition to love and de- 
sire to spend the evening at the "parties" or the 
"balls," get up a "reading circle" or "composition 
exercise" at home. God will bless you and reward 
you in all your efforts in this direction. Much more 
of importance could be said upon this subject, but 
with these few suggestions we will leave the interested 
and inventive mind to enlarge. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 271 

MORAL TRAINING. 

Man is an intellectual and a moral being. By his 
intellectual powers he gains a knowledge of facts. 
By his moral faculties he experiences a sense of 
responsibility and a feeling of certain relations ex- 
isting between him and some higher power. Your 
child possesses an intuitive knowledge and upon this 
is where your moral training begins. The little broth- 
er knows it is wrong to injure his little sister. He 
does not have to acquire that knowledge, he knows it 
intuitively. This is the foundation for your moral 
training, and, of course, spiritual training naturally 

hinges upon this ; but we shall speak of that in a sep- 
arate chapter. 

The wisest man that ever lived said, "Train up a 
child in the way he should go : and when he is old, 
he will not depart from it." Prov. 22:6. So many 
having failed, some have been almost persuaded to 
doubt this man's wisdom. The saying is true; the 
failures arise from the lack of understanding of how 
to train properly. All the moral principles sustain a 
close relation to each other; thus one moral prin- 
ciple influences another, therefore the violation of one 
principle makes it easier to violate a second, and the 
child is carried on until he can do wrong without 
any reproval of conscience. 

Training should begin very early in the life of a 
child. Never allow this intuitive knowledge or the 
voice of conscience to be hushed by repeated wrong do- 



272 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

ing. The child who does wrong should be told why it is 
he feels a sense of guilt— God is displeased. Show him 
how one evil leads to another, and what will be the 
awful end. Call to his mind the differences in his 
feelings arising from wrong doing and right doing. 
With the one God is displeased, with the other he is 
pleased. The way then to be happy in life is to al- 
ways do right. 

You must be indefatigable in your efforts at train- 
ing. Constant daily training is needed. As one 
wrong act makes it easier to do a second wrong act, 
so one right act makes it easier to do a second right 
act. It is comparatively easy for the child to fall 
into bad habits. Training, constant daily training 
is needed to keep the little one from evil ways. Lead 
him into right action. By repeating a right action 
it becomes easy to perform it. You must never think 
of becoming discouraged, although it appears so nat- 
ural for your child to do wrong and so difficult to get 
him to do right. You must go on training, trusting 
in the promise, teaching, reproving, correcting, pun- 
ishing, ever looking upward for grace and wisdom. 

Be careful of your example. It exerts a powerful 
influence. At one time in his life, the writer was 
quick in his actions and his words. He never re- 
ceived such a reproving as when one day his little 
boy under a provocation acted and spoke in the 

exact manner and tone of his papa. It cut to the 
heart. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 273 

It may seem at times that the voice of conscience 
is almost stifled, but you must hope on and labor 
zealously as in the command : ' ' And thou shalt teach 
them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of 
them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou 
walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and 
when thou risest up. ' ' Deut. 6 : 7. 

Many parents seeing their young child doing or 
saying something wrong often think it of not much 
consequence, because the child is young and the 
wrong is very slight. You do not know the power of 
habit, and how one wrong, howsoever slight, leads 
to a greater one. Habit has been likened to a spider's 
web, which at first can be easily broken, but after 
continued indulgence binds its victim as with a 
strong cable, making reformation almost impossible. 
The same is true of good and right conduct. At first 
it may require an effort to perform a certain right 
act, but after repetition it is accomplished natur- 
ally and without thought. Therefore be vigilant in 
training your child to right action, and carefully 
avoid everything that would lead to evil acts or feel- 
ings. To tease a child is to develop an angry dis- 
position. Some fathers think it quite laughable to 
hear the little two-year-old say to its mamma, "I 
won't do it," but he shall afterward pay dearly for 
his sport. 

Parents think it "cute" to see their little one 
shake its little fist at papa and mamma. Through 



274 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

such education the day will probably come, when he 
will shake his fist at you so that it will strike like a 
hammer on your heart. We have heard many par- 
ents laughing at their little children saying ' * smart 
things," little conscious of what these things are 
leading to. 

"Train up a child in the way he should go," com- 
prehends much more than many have understood. 
Just recently we heard a little child being taught to 
say, "Peter, Peter, pumpkin eater," etc. Such 
teaching is horrifying to Christian hearts. It is 
better to train your child to make reply in the polite, 
"Yes, sir" and "No, sir," or, "Yes, ma'am," and 
"No, ma'am," instead of that coarse, impolite 
"umgh," "humgh," which is no language. Remem- 
ber the first step to child training is to set the exam- 
ple before them in your own life. Frequently we find 
parents endeavoring to teach their children to say, 
"Please" and "Yes, sir," when they in their own 
speech neglect such politeness. Your efforts will 
prove fruitless. 

Parents have been known to tease their little 
daughter and the daughter of other parents about 
some little boy companion, and their little son about 
some girl companion. Such is very shameful and 
harmful. It fills the minds of their children with 
impure thought. Keep your own language very mod- 
est and pure and the language of your children the 
same. Keep their thought pure. Impure language 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 275 

and impure thought leads to impure and injurious 
habits. 

Be familiar with your child and talk to him about 
his secret life. Teach him of the awful evils in the 
secret lives of many children and how impure words 
and thoughts lead to such injurious vice. Parents, 
see to it that there is a loving confidence between you 
and your child. Be familiar in telling them how 
wonderfully they are made and what was the design 
of God in thus creating them. Teach them what a 
noble and sacred thing it is to use every member and 
organ of our body to the glory of the Creator. Teach 
them of the awful crime to misuse any part. Mothers, 
acquaint your young daughters of the event that 
must soon come into their life, and thus prevent 
their doing an injury to their health. 

By precept upon precept and by example, train 
your child to grow up into a beautiful moral life. 
In love restrain every immoral tendency in your 
child. Also be very zealous in teaching your chil- 
dren good manners. Civility and refinement are 
beautiful in the life of any one, and is very closely 
associated with the morals. Teach your little ones 
to respect each other, to have a regard for each 
other's happiness, to practise self-denial for the ben- 
efit of others. By precept and example instil gen- 
tleness and kindness into their actions. Dear parents, 
never grow weary in training the little feet of thy 
tender "olive plants" in the paths of virtue. 



276 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

SPIRITUAL TRAINING. 

The moral life is beautiful, but there is a higher 
and more beautiful life. In the true, deep spiritual 
life is found the highest degree of morality. How- 
ever we may train our children into a high standard 
of moral life, and yet not attain to the spiritual. It 
is reported that the homes of certain infidels are 
most exemplary in moral conduct. Ancient heathen 
philosophers through restraint, self-sacrifice, and 
force of will attained to beautiful moral lives. But 
the spiritual life, which includes the moral, is the 
perfection of beauty. The life out of which the 
Christ-life and character shines is the grandest and 
noblest upon the earth. 

Parents, bring your children to Jesus, for of such 
is the kingdom of heaven. Bring up your children in 
the nurture and admonition of the Lord, is command- 
ed in the Holy Scriptures. Your child possesses an 
immortal soul. This soul will. exist either in happi- 
ness or wretchedness eternally. It is so ordained in 
the plan of redemption that the soul can be brought 
into possession of spiritual life, which, if retained, 
insures its eternal bliss. He who has attained to a 
high degree of morality through the force of human 
will holds communion only with the better qualities 
of manhood, all of which must perish. He who has 
attained to spirituality holds communion with God 
and heavenly things. He does not trust to human 
powers, but in the power of the divine life. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 277 

Moral life will not admit us into the paradise above. 
We must possess spiritual life — the life of Christ. It 
is well to train our children in the way of good 
morals with a view to leading them into the spiritual 
life. Then it is necessary to lead them into the spiritual 
life to aid in the moral training. Comparatively 
few parents have accomplished any great results in 
the moral training of their children without divine 
assistance. In the moral derangement of our chil- 
dren the inward tendency to immorality makes it 
impossible to educate them to a true and perfect 
standard of morality without Glod's aid. Have we 
and our children no other source of strength to do 
battle with the evil passions but the force of the 
human will? Who has succeeded in subduing or 
controlling an angry disposition in themselves or 
their children to the extent that there is no impa- 
tient speech or abrupt action, by their own will pow- 
er? We admit that some men— as the ancient heath- 
en philosophers— have succeeded in educating them- 
selves to a high standard of morality by using all 
the power of the human will as a vigilant police force 
and carefully avoiding occasions of temptation. It 
is said of one of these philosophers that in order to 
absent himself from the races and games and bull- 
fights and other worldly gatherings he would only 
shave one-half of his face, thereby making himself 
too ridiculous in appearance to assemble among men. 
Such is the struggle to attain any moral excellence 
without divine assistance. 



278 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Children should be taught what sin is, and of 
God's judgments against it, and as early in life as 
possible be led by instruction and seeking the aid of 
the Holy Spirit into a Christian experience. Some 
seem to think that children have no correct ideas of 
God, and never feel the influence of his Spirit. In 
this they may be mistaken. The tender heart of a 
child very often receives a deep and sacred impres- 
sion by the Holy Spirit. Were we watchful and took 
advantage of these seasons to tell them of God and 
heaven we would be workers together with him, and 
he would reward us by faithful children. The com- 
munication of the Spirit with the hearts of children 
is more wonderful and frequent than we may some- 
times understand. A lady recently told us that her 
parents never taught her to pray, but very early in 
life she was inclined by the Holy Spirit to kneel at 
her bedside and pray when unobserved. 

Who is the reader that can not remember instances 
in his early life when he felt the influence of some 
good spirit and had thoughts of God? Had he in 
those tender childhood days been rightly instructed 
he could have been led into the beautiful walks of a 
Christian life. We remember a child of less than ten 
years of age, who, hearing his father using bad lan- 
guage, fell upon his knees and clasping his arms 
around his father told him of his sin and besought 
him to pray for forgiveness. 

A lady writer in one of her excellent works 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 279 

("Mothers' Counsel to Their Sons"), records the in- 
stance of a little girl of four and a half years who 
felt the guilt of sin, and by her Christian mother was 
led to Jesus, and there she was blessed by him, even 
to the witnessing of his Spirit that her sins were 
gone and she was his child. The child was at one 
time moved to plead with an unsaved relative to come 
to Jesus. She lived triumphant in the sweetness of 
redeeming grace until the age of fifteen, when her 
mission on earth was ended and she went to her home 
in heaven. Oh, how glorious ! What if that mother, 
when this child came expressing her sense of guilt, 
had not instructed her in the ways of salvation? In 
all probability it would have resulted in a lost soul. 
When our children are brought into a Christian 
experience the victory is only partly won; life lies 
before them with its temptations. Many are the al- 
lurements to turn those young feet into worldly paths. 
We have witnessed the bright, happy conversion of 
many children. We have seen their countenances 
beaming with the light and joy of Christian love and 
heard their voices ring with spiritual praise, only to 
soon yield to the influence of the world and lose that 
sincere devotion to God. This is not the inevitable 
course, thank God, but it is the course of many. To 
teach our children the fear of God and enable them 
to retain in their hearts a deep reverence and devo- 
tion to him has been a subject of much prayer with 
us. We find the Christian life is a warfare. There 



280 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

are temptations to be resisted, there are watehings 
and prayings, there must be a constant looking up- 
ward to God for his aid and direction. 

One trouble with many parents has been that as 
soon as their children were converted they seemed to 
think the battle was over and the victory was won, 
when really the battle was only begun. The first 
thing necessary in keeping our budding "olive 
plants" in deep spirituality is to keep very spirit- 
ual ourselves. Now whatever means are necessary to 
promote a growth of spirituality in our hearts, the 
same means are necessary to develop and deepen the 
spiritual life of our children. A habitual effort to 
cultivate a deeper sense of the divine presence is nec- 
essary and one of the most beautiful employments of 
the sanctified heart. Those reverential feelings toward 
God must daily become stronger. Those inmost af- 
fections of the soul must reach out with greater 
yearnings and deeper longings toward the Holy One. 
A benevolent regard in our hearts for our fellow men 
must become stronger and more true. beloved, if 
you would have your child to grow up into a beauti- 
ful Christian character you must teach him to sup- 
press every selfish feeling, to banish every idle, care- 
less thought, and to resist all temptations to envy or 
impatience. The purest of meditations must be enter- 
tained. We and they must be strictly disciplined by 
the sacred Scriptures, "Watch and pray." Spiritual 
prayer unfolds the life into the beautiful life of God 
as the bud unfolds into the blooming rose. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 281 

A CHRISTIAN HOME. 

Nowhere is Christianity more effectual and more 
beautiful than in the home life. Nowhere is the pow- 
er of divine love so truly manifested as in a sincere 
Christian home. We will set a picture before you. A 
father and mother with their children are grouped to- 
gether for the evening worship. The father out of the 
deep affections of his soul, in spiritual tones, speaks of 
God and his holy commandment. A tear of gratitude 
and joy is glistening in the mother's affectionate eye. 
The children's faces are beaming with admiration as 
they hear extolled the character of Christ. They kneel 
in prayer; a holy awe and sacredness rests upon the 
scene ; their prayers arise as sweet incense into the nos- 
trils of God and delight his great heart. 

Such a scene as we have pictured only fitly repre- 
sents a true Christian home. The father is all tender- 
ness and love to his wife and children. He is kind and 
sympathetic. He regards his wife as the weaker ves- 
sel and is mindful of her happiness. The wife deeply 
reverences her husband. Affection and appreciation 
sparkle in her eye. To attend to the husband's wishes 
is her delight. They love their children and in gen- 
tleness are bringing them up in the nurture and admo- 
nition of the Lord. The children love each other and 
are kind and self-denying. They obey their parents 
through love. Alas! such a family is rarely found 
upon this sin -cursed earth. But such is taught and 
commanded in the Bible, and it is possible. 



282 



If a father and mother and children lived toward 
each other just as the Bible says they should live, we 
would have a scene that would fitly represent heaven. 
It is our privilege to have just such a home. "Ask, 
and it shall be given you. ' ' A happy home life is the 
most blessed life on earth. "Thy wife shall be as a 
fruitful vine by the sides of thine house : thy children 
like olive plants round about thy table. ' ' Psa. 128 : 3. 

DUTY OF CHILDREN TO PARENTS. 

It was the original design of God that children 
should be a blessing to their parents. "My son, be 
wise, and make my heart glad. ' ' Prov. 27 : 11. " The 
father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he 
that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Thy 
father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that 
bare thee shall rejoice." Prov. 23:24, 25. "A wise 
son maketh a glad father. ' ' Prov. 15 : 20. 

You will observe, children, in each of the above 
texts that it is wisdom in a child that makes parents 
rejoice. Then you should "seek wisdom, seek under- 
standing." "Wisdom is the principal thing; there- 
fore get wisdom. ' ' Prov. 4 : 7. What is wisdom ? 
' ' The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. ' ' The 
highest honor a child can pay to a true parent is to 
honor and obey God : ' ' And shalt return unto the Lord 
thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all I 
command thee this day, thou and thy children, with 
all thine heart and with all thy soul. ' ' Deut. 30 : 2. ' 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 283 

' ' Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, 
while the evil days come not." Ecel. 12 : 1. 

The duty of children is to fear their parents : * ' Ye 
shall fear every man his mother, and his father." Lev. 
19:3. To honor them: "Honor thy father and thy 
mother: that thy days may be long upon the land 
which the Lord thy God giveth thee." Ex. 20:12. 
This, it is true, is an old-time commandment, but the 
spirit or principle of it is carried into the dispensation 
of the gospel. ' ' Honor thy father and mother. ' ' Eph. 
6:2. 

Children should attend to the faithful instruction 
of their parents: "My son, hear the instruction of thy 
father, and forsake not the law of thy mother; for 
they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy heart, 
and chains about thy neck." Prov. 1:8, 9. "Hear, ye 
children, the instruction of a father." Prov. 4: 1. "My 
son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not 
the law of thy mother. ' ' Prov. 6 : 20. " Children, obey 
your parents in the Lord; for this is right." If it is 
right to obey, it is wrong to disobey. Many children 
do not have a due regard for the instruction of the 
father and mother. They oftentimes think they know 
more than their parents and so follow their own ways 
without natural affection. 

Children should imitate the example of righteous 
parents, but are commanded not to walk in the foot- 
steps of the unholy: "But I said unto their children 
in the wilderness, Walk ye not in the statutes of your 



284 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile 
yourselves with their idols." Ezek. 20: 18. 

One important duty of children is to care for the 
parents. If the parents become old and feeble, or the 
mother a widow, the Word of God places children un- 
der the obligation of caring for them. "But if any 
widow have children or nephews, let them learn first 
to show piety at home, and to requite their parents: 
for that is good and acceptable before God. ' ' 

DUTIES OP MASTERS TO SERVANTS. 

Masters are commanded to forbear threatening their 
servants : ' ' And, ye masters, do the same things unto 
them, [servants], forbearing threatening: knowing 
that your Master also is in heaven, neither is there 
respect of persons with him." Eph. 6 : 9. 

In our land the days of slavery are no more, but 
men and women have their hired man and maid ser- 
vant. Their duty toward such servants is to treat 
them with kindness, not to threaten them, or treat 
them in an overbearing, authoritative manner because 
they are servants. Be as kind and mild and respect- 
ful to them as to the children of the rich, for God is no 
respecter of persons. 

Masters should give unto their servants that which 
is just and right for their labor done. If a man's la- 
bor is well worth two dollars per day, but because he 
is needy (or for any cause) and must work at any 
price, you take advantage of him and give him but 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 285 

one dollar, you are a dim light in the world. In truth 
your light has gone out, and your deeds have become 
darkness. "Masters, give unto your servants that 
which is just and equal : knowing that ye also have a 
Master in heaven." These words, "Knowing that ye 
also have a Master in heaven," are contained also in 
Eph. 6 : 9, where masters are commanded to forbear 
threatening. They are intended to impress the mas- 
ter with his obligation of dealing with his servants in 
the fear of God, before whom he must some day ap- 
pear and give an account for the deeds done in the 
body, or in this life. 

• The rich man's fraudulent deeds toward his ser- 
vants is taken account of in heaven : ' ' Behold, the hire 
of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, 
which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the 
cries of them which have reaped are entered into the 
ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. ' ' Jas. 5 : 4. 

DUTY OF SERVANTS TO THEIR MASTERS. 

Servants should honor and respect their masters: 
"Let as many servants as are under the yoke count 
their own masters worthy of all honor, that the name 
of God and his doctrine be not blasphemed." 1 Tim. 
6:1. Especially are they to reverence them if they 
are believers : ' ' And they that have believing masters, 
let them not despise them, because they are brethren ; 
but rather do them service, because they are faithful 
and beloved, partakers of the benefit." 1 Tim. 6:2. 



286 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Servants are under obligation to obey their masters : 
' ' Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters 
according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sin- 
gleness of your heart as unto Christ." Eph. 6 : 5. The 
servant's service to his master should not be wholly 
for the hire. He should not fear to do him ill service 
because of not receiving his wages, but his service 
should be in singleness of heart — an honest, upright 
purpose— as unto Christ. 

They should seek to please their masters : ' ' Exhort 
servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and 
to please them well in all things." Titus 2: 9. They 
are to be subject to them: "Servants, be subject to 
your masters with all fear; not only to the good and 
gentle, but also to the froward. " 1 Pet. 2: 18. Ser- 
vants are to do good service and not defraud their 
masters, and thus adorn the doctrine of G-od. "Not 
purloining, but showing all good fidelity ; that they 
may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all 
things." Titus 2:10. The word "purloin" is from 
the Greek word "nosphizomai," and means "to hide 
or to secrete, to steal. In this text it would in- 
clude the idling away of time that belonged to the 
master. 

We believe we have done justice to the subject of 
"Domestic Relationship. ' ' In conclusion we would be 
pleased to set before you a picture, not to be excelled 
in sublimity, sacredness, elevation of character, or soul 
inspiration by anything on earth. "For thou shalt 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 287 

eat the labor of thine hands : happy shalt thou be, and 
it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a 
fruitful vine by the sides of thine house : thy children 
like olive plants round about thy table. ' ' Psa. 128 : 2, 
3. This picture is set in a beautiful frame, found in 
the preceding verse and the one following. "Blessed 
is every one that f eareth the Lord ; that walketh in his 
ways." ver. 1. "Behold, that thus shall the man be 
blessed that f eareth the Lord." ver. 4. The picture 
of a happy Christian man, a loving wife, devoted chil- 
dren, embossed with the blessings and glory of God, 
is one of greatest admiration. 



CHAPTER XIV. 



EVIL HABITS AND INJURIOUS 
INDULGENCES. 



The Word of the Lord may not denominate in plain 
terms every particular sin and evil practise man may 
engage in ; however there are general terms and prin- 
ciples of righteousness that prohibit and condemn 
every possible sinful act man may perform. The 
words card-parties, picnics, fairs, shows and theaters 
are not found in the writings of the apostles; how- 
ever indulgence in these is "revelry," "living in 
pleasure," "rioting" and worldliness, of which the 
Scriptures say the participants do not love God and 



288 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

can never enter heaven. Also the terms "whisky," 
"alcohol," "opium," "morphine," "tobacco," "tea 
and "coffee," "secret vice," etc., are not made use of 
by the New Testament writers. They are included, 
however, in the general term "lust of the flesh." To 
make mention of all the things that may be done as 
a lust of the flesh would make a lengthy catalogue in- 
deed. Anything, no matter what it may be, if done 
to satisfy the lust of the flesh is very damaging to 
spiritual life. 

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and 
pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against 
the soul." 1 Pet. 2 : 11. "This I say then, walk in the 
Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the 
Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the 
one to the other : so that ye can not do the things that 
ye would." Gal. 5: 16, 17. "For if ye live after the 
flesh ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do 
mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live." Rom. 
8:13. 

By these texts we plainly understand the "flesh" 
to be antagonistical to the Spirit. God has created 
us with a fleshly nature, or made us a fleshly being. 
He has also created things for the sustenance of 
this fleshly life. He has created food and drink for 
man's use. A proper use of these is not a lust of 
the flesh. An improper use may be considered lust. 
Our eating and drinking should be to the glory of 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 289 

God. The primary object in our eating should be 
to sustain life and promote health and strength, that 
we may be able to labor for and glorify God. 

If we have a pure and undefiled conscience and 
are conscientious before God, and fully comprehend 
that we are not our own, but that we are God's prop- 
erty and that we should glorify him in our body and 
our spirit, we then most certainly would eat and drink 
such things to the extent of our knowledge as are 
most conducive to development of physical energy, 
and mental activity. It is not a lust of the flesh if we 
eat and drink to the glory of God. Temperance in 
natural God-given food and drink is the law of Heav- 
en. It is of surfeiting that the Son of God warns us 
to beware. Luke 21 : 34. There are a great many 
things in creation which God never designed for the 
use of man as food and drink. Temperance does not 
mean a moderate use of these things. Their use is 
wholly forbidden. 

Again man may by certain processes change the 

natural into an unnatural and make it in opposition 

to God's law. Because man has not always had the 

glory of God as his object in eating, drinking, and 

clothing, but became intemperate in the things which 

he allows, many have through the lust of the flesh 

been led to indulge in things from which the Word 

of God and the laws of health demand total abstinence. 

The injurious indulgences are so many and various 

as to furnish subject enough for volumes. We can 
m 



290 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

only mention briefly the ones that are most generally 
indulged in, and which are destroying soul and body. 

ALCOHOLS. 

All whiskies, rums, brandies, and fermented wines 
contain a certain amount of alcohol. It consists of 
hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, and is a powerful an- 
tiseptic. It is the intoxicating ingredient found in 
distilled liquors. An appetite for spirituous liquors 
is unnatural. It is true this appetite may be inherit- 
ed, but because the child apparently takes naturally 
to these strong drinks is no proof they are a natural 
drink. 

The word alcohol is not used by any of the writers 
of the New Testament. Paul speaks of wine and says 
that the bishop must be a man "not given to wine" 
(1 Tim. 3:3; Titus 1:7), and of the deacon, "not 
given to much wine. ' ' ver. 8. To the church at Ephe- 
sus he says, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is ex- 
cess; but be filled with the Spirit." Eph. 5:18. 

He recommends wine to Timothy: "Drink no long- 
er water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake 
and thine often infirmities." 1 Tim. 5: 23. There is 
nothing in this text for the consolation of the wine- 
bibber. The professed follower of Christ who loves to 
sip the wine-cup, and by this text persuades him- 
self to believe he is not violating God's law, wrests 
it to his own hurt. That Timothy had some stom- 
ach trouble is very evident from this text. We are not 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 291 

ready to admit that it was fermented wine Paul ad- 
vised him to use. It often happens that water, es- 
pecially if it is not pure, will distress a diseased 
stomach. This wine was recommended as a hygienic 
law. When an individual is troubled with constipa- 
tion he will find bread made from unbolted wheat 
flour to be much more healthful for him than bread 
made from fine white flour. We would not advise the 
use of this, merely as a luxury, nor as a medicine, but 
as a common-sense law of health. The juice of the 
grape contains a considerable portion of water, so 
much that one can get all the water the system re- 
quires and not drink the sweet juice to an excess. From 
the text it is natural to conclude that water was hurt- 
ful to Timothy, since he is advised to drink no longer 
water. 

In cities and certain countries travelers often find 
the water disagreeable and unhealthful to them. It 
would be wisdom to use unfermented wine, or boil the 
water and add the juice of a lemon or some fruit to 
make it palatable. It would be very unwise for us 
on such an occasion to justify ourselves in the use of 
narcotic and fermented drinks. They are as injurious 
to the stomach as impure water, and were we compelled 
to drink either, we would feel more in God's order to 
trust him to counteract the poison in the water rather 
than the poison of fermented wines and narcotic teas 
and coffees. 

The drinking in moderation or "not to excess" of 



292 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

nnfermented wine is healthful, and in harmony with 
divine laws; but total abstinence from spirituous 
liquors is the command of God. While alcohol, whis- 
ky, and brandy are words not used in the New Tes- 
tament their use is none the less objectionable and 
sinful. These ardent spirits produce an effect called 
drunkenness, and the Scriptures class drunkenness 
with the works of the flesh, and declare that they 
which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom 
of God. Gal. 5:19-21. The reader will only have 
to refer to any authentic medical or hygienic work to 
learn of the injurious effects of alcohol upon the hu- 
man system. 

"Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and 
whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. ,, Prov. 
20 : 1. "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow V who hath 
contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds 
without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that 
tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed 
wine. Look not thou on the wine when it is red, 
when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth 
itself aright [is fermented]. At the last it biteth like 
a serpent, and stingeth like an adder." Prov. 23: 
29-32. 

We would say again that in all things God has giv- 
en us to sustain life and make us healthful, comfort- 
able and happy he would have us to be temperate and 
"keep our body in subjection." But there are some 
things which he would have us "touch not, taste not; 
handle not" Col 2:21, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 293 

TOBACCO. 

Very few people, especially among the religious 
class, are not willing to admit that drunken debauch- 
ery and carousal is altogether outside the realms of 
Christianity, and can only be engaged in by those 
wholly devoid of the love and grace of God. It is 
however a source of astonishment to the pure-hearted 
child of God to find so many professing Christ, yet 
unwilling to admit that tobacco using is a lust of the 
flesh. Oftentimes when speaking to a man concerning 
the tobacco habit, he will say, The word tobacco is not 
mentioned in the Bible. This is true. As we have 
before said, the word alcohol is not found in the 
Scriptures, but its effects upon the human system 
are mentioned, and no one can thus affect his body 
without placing his soul in great danger. 

Tobacco is not mentioned in the Scripture, but its 
effects are, and we are positively commanded to rem- 
edy such effects. Paul says, ' ' Having therefore these 
promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from 
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness 
in the fear of God." 2 Cor. 7:1. One effect of to- 
bacco using is "filthiness," from which we are com- 
manded to cleanse ourselves. But few people are not 
ready to admit that using tobacco is a filthy habit. 
Then since the Word of God condemns filthiness, the 
tobacco habit stands condemned. It is indeed a sin- 
seared and tobacco-stunned conscience that denies the 
use of tobacco being a lust of the flesh. It can be 



294 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

nothing else but a fleshly lust. How frequently the 
lust of the flesh is condemned in the Holy Scriptures. 
It wars against the soul. It is enmity against God. 
It lusteth against the Spirit. 

Dear reader, will you listen to reason and truth? 
We are aware how difficult it is for man to see and 
acknowledge the truth when some cherished idol 
stands between him and the truth. It is not a dif- 
ficult thing to help him to comprehend the sinful- 
ness of some evil thing which his heart is not set upon, 
but he is blinded to any sin in the cherished object 
of his affections. 

Recently there were in a meeting two middle aged 
ladies. One of them was fashionably dressed, while 
jthe other was uncommonly plain in her apparel. The 
lady in the plain dress was addicted to the habit of 
using snuff. The lady in the fashionable dress ab- 
horred such a filthy practise. When the Word of 
God was read on the comeliness and plainness of fe- 
male attire, the lady in the plain dress smiled and 
nodded assent. The lady whose heart was set on cost- 
ly apparel, expressed a rejection of God's Word in her 
countenance and manner. In the discourse the sub- 
ject was changed from the wearing of gay clothing 
to the practise of tobacco using. When the habit of 
using snuff was mentioned the plain lady's smile was 
turned to a sneer, and the fashionable lady's sneer 
was turned to a smile. Afterwards in conversation 
the fashionable lady said she believed it was a sin to 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 295 

use snuff, but she could not see any evil in wearing 
gay and fine clothing. The plain lady said she thought 
it was a sin to wear such plumed hats and beaded 
dresses, but she could see no 'harm in using snuff. 
This proved to us what we have before mentioned, that 
it is difficult for man to see any sin in his idol. 

If you are not very careful you will be seeking to 
justify yourself in your indulgences, though they be 
wrong. So if you, dear reader, will lay down all 
prejudice, with a heart open to reason and truth, we 
will consider with you the use of tobacco. We claim, 
first, that tobacco is injurious to health. The Bible 
tells us that we are not our own, but are bought with 
a price ; therefore we should glorify God in our body 
and spirit which are his. 1 Cor. 6 : 19, 20. Also that 
whether we eat or drink, or whatsoever we do, we 
should do all to the glory of God. 1 Cor. 10 : 31. We 
can not indulge in anything injurious to the health 
of the body without incurring the displeasure of God. 
Now we frequently meet strong looking, and appar- 
ently healthy men, who have used tobacco for several 
years. Such are often ready to say, "Tobacco does 
not hurt me." They are honest in this. Being strongly 
constituted the poison of tobacco has not as yet suc- 
ceeded in affecting them to a noticeable extent. Soon- 
er or later, however, it will make its awful sting to be 
felt. Some men may expose themselves to the most 
inclement weather for years and experience no visible 
injurious effects; however, slowly, but surely, such 



296 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

negligence is undermining the general health, and the 
pains of his old days will repay him for the fool- 
hardiness of his youth. 

We have read may works on hygiene, and never a 
one but what has without hesitancy pronounced to- 
bacco and alcohol very injurious poisons. We have 
a few by us and will give you some short quotations. 

"It tends to debilitate the organs, it weakens the 
memory. By the use of tobacco we entail upon our- 
selves a whole train of nervous maladies. It will bow 
down to the earth an intellect of giant strength and 
make it grind in bondage like Samson shorn of his 
strength. ' '—Hitchcock. 

"It impairs the functions of the brain, clouds the 
understanding, and enfeebles the memory."— Dr. 
Stevens. 

"In whatever way it is used, tobacco is a narcotic 
and a poison. Its injurious effects are due to its ac-. 
tive principle called "nicotine," which is of itself 
a narcotic poison. The extent to which the body may 
be injured by tobacco depends upon its moderate or 
excessive use. Even in moderate use it is hurtful to 
young persons, and by no means free from harm to 
adults. It produces an artificial exhaustion, as it were, 
of the nerve-centers. It certainly does no good, even 
when used in moderation. Tobacco produces func- 
tional derangement of the nervous system, palpitation 
of the heart, certain forms of dyspepsia, and more 
or less irritation of the throat and lungs. Sometimes 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 297 

after long smoking, a sudden sensation of dizziness, 
with a momentary loss of consciousness is experienced. 
At other times, if walking, there is a sudden sensation 
of falling forward, or as if the feet were touching 
cotton-wool. While the stomach is empty, protracted 
smoking will often produce a feeling of nausea, accom- 
panied with a headache. The external application of 
tobacco to chafed surfaces, and even to the healthy 
skin, will occasion severe, and sometimes fatal re- 
sults. A tea made of tobacco and applied to the skin 
has caused death in three hours. A tobacco enema 
has resulted fatally within a few minutes. The ex- 
cessive smoking of tobacco has been known to produce 
violent and fatal effects. Nicotine is one of the most 
rapidly fatal poisons known. It rivals prussic acid 
in this respect. It takes about one minute for a single 
drop of nicotine to kill a fullgrown cat. A single drop 
has killed a rabbit in three minutes. The old tobacco- 
user is often cross, irritable and liable to outbursts of 
passion. The memory is also quite often impaired 
for the same reason. The narcotic principle, the 
deadly nicotine, has become soaked into the delicate 
nerve-pulp, retarding its nutrition. The nerve-cen- 
ters are no longer able to hoard up their usual amount 
of vital energy."— Young Folk's Physiology. 

Thus we could go on and quote volumes, if need be, 
but we will close our quotations with the words of 
Dr. Fowler, as quoted by W. J. Henry in "Tobacco 
and Its Effects/' ''The actual loss of intellectual 



298 THE GOSPEL. DAY; OR, 

power which tobacco has hitherto occasioned, and is 
still causing in this Christian nation, is immense. How 
much so, it is impossible to calculate. Many a man 
who might have been respectable and useful has sunk 
into obscurity and buried his talent in the earth. 
This commands a consideration of deepest interest 
to every philanthropist, patriot and Christian in the 
land, and especially to all our youth. We live in a 
time and under circumstances which call for the exer- 
tion of all our intellectual strength, cultivated, im- 
proved and sanctified to the highest measure of possi- 
bility. Error, ignorance and sin must be met and 
vanquished by light and love. The eyes of the angels 
are upon us. The eye of God is upon us. Shall we 
fetter and paralyze our intellectual capabilities for 
the sake of enjoying the paltry pleasure of tasting 
the most loathsome and destructive weed in the whole 
vegetable kingdom ? ' ' Oh, for shame ! 

Tobacco is not a natural food. No one ever thinks 
of giving it to their children as a food. It is a habit, 
something to be acquired. Whatever God has given 
us as food for the sustenance of the body is natural 
with us and we do not have to become habituated to 
its use. Where is the individual that will deny that 
it is a habit ? Jft must be, since it has to be acquired 
or learned. Who will say it is a good habit? Who 
will deny that it is a bad habit? Do you not think 
it much better that we as moral citizens, and much 
more as professed Christians, leave off our bad habits ? 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 299 

Who dare hope of going to heaven who will not for- 
sake his bad habits? Reader, I appeal to your reason. 
You must answer me, Is it not a habit ? Is it good or 
bad? What shall your answer be in the judgment- 
day ? God will hold us responsible for the use we arc 
making of the money he has permitted us to acquire 
in this world. He says, "Wherefore do ye spend 
money for that which is not bread?" Isa. 55 : 2. Does 
it not savor more of the principle and spirit of Chris- 
tianity to use our money in feeding and clothing the 
poor, than in consuming it in this unhealthful, un- 
sightly, unclean, and ungodly lust? Do you not be- 
lieve that when you shall have come to that bright land 
beyond the grave, that you would have more treasures 
there if all the money you have spent for tobacco had 
been used to help the poor along the weary way of 
life ? fellow mortal, how can you chew and smoke 
and snuff and spit your money away, while thousands 
are starving for bread, and millions are going to an 
eternal wretchedness for the want of gospel light ? 
Do not think that God will not punish you for your 
selfishness. 

God will hold us responsible for the example we set 
before the youth of the land and the children of our 
home. Jesus says to the Christian, "Let your light 
so shine before men that they may see your good works 
and glorify your Father which is in heaven. ' ' Mat. 5 : 
16. What kind of a light is the tobacco-user letting 
shine to this world? Can he say to all, "Follow me 



300 THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

in this habit"? Would he advise the pure, innocent 
prattler upon his knee to chew or smoke the filthy 
thing ? No man can indulge in one thing that he can 
not with clear conscience say to the whole world, ' ' Fol- 
low me in, ' ' and stand clear and uncondemned before 
God in judgment. The Bible tells us, ' ' In everything 
give thanks. ' ' Who feels like thanking God they have 
acquired the tobacco habit? The Bible tells us that 
''whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all to the 
glory of God." But very few have become so de- 
praved as to say they can glorify God in tobacco us- 
ing. Here we behold the sublime wonders of redeeming 
grace. This world lost in sin, mankind was bound by 
passions, appetites, desires and dispositions with 
which they could not glorify God, Jesus, full of grace 
and truth, came from heaven to cleanse man, to save 
him from everything with which he could not show 
forth his Maker's praise. Halleluiah! 

We feel like giving you a bit of our experience be- 
fore closing this subject. For several years we were 
bound hand and foot by the hideous monster— Tobac- 
co. We repeatedly tried to extricate ourselves from 
his iron grasp, but tried in vain. Resolution upon 
resolution was made. The plug was frequently thrown 
away only to be shortly afterward searched for or 
replaced by another one. How the devil's power 
ground me beneath his hoof of steel. Awful slavery, 
terrible bondage ! We often express our thankfulness 
for a free country, but who is free ? Of all the many 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 301 

sins that lay upon my soul, none seemed so heavy as 
the tobacco sin. In a time of danger or fright our 
first thought would be of tobacco, and we feared and 
trembled before God. In a time of storm when the 
lightning would flash and the thunder roll we would 
vow to the Lord that if he would keep us through the 
storm we would use tobacco no more. But when the 
clouds had rolled away and the sun shone out so peace- 
fully, our tyrannical master would scourge us be- 
neath his heavy yoke, and we would yield to his de- 
mands. For several months we thus fought against 
this monster only to be conquered, until early one 
October morning when all alone we earnestly be- 
sought the God of heaven to come to our rescue. We 
confessed our sins to him and plead for mercy. He 
heard our prayer and blotted out all our transgres- 
sions. He filled our soul with such a wondrous glory 
that full two weeks had passed before we thought of 
tobacco, and when we did we loathed it more than 
we had ever loved it. Eight years have passed and 
still we are free. Since the day we were saved we have 
no more desired it than if we never had used it. ' ' If 
the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be 
free indeed. ' ' John 8 : 36. 

OPIUM. 

The habit of eating opium is fast increasing. We 
are told that thousands of tons are used annually 



302 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

in smoking and chewing in different parts of the 
world. Over half a million pounds are consumed by 
the opium eaters of our own country. It is a lust of 
the flesh and classed among the things which if we do 
we can never enter heaven. It is because it is a sin 
that will bar you forever from the land of eternal 
rest, that prompts us to add a few words of warning. 

Like alcohol and tobacco, the word opium does not 
appear in the Scriptures, but that it is a sinful lust 
but very few will deny. Opium is the dried juice of 
the white poppy. Morphine is a powder made from 
opium. Laudanum is made by soaking opium in al- 
cohol. The custom of drugging infants and children 
with ' ' Soothing Cordials ' ' is shameful and sinful. The 
" soothing" effect is produced by the opium the drug 
contains. It is exceedingly dangerous. One writer 
has said that it is very certain that many infants 
annually perish from this single cause. Any work on 
hygiene or common school physiology will describe the" 
effect of opium upon the human system. 

But the injurious effects of these stimulants and 
poisons upon the physical health is not the primary 
cause for speaking against their use in this little work. 
It is because such is not a gospel light. No one can 
indulge in such practises and be a light in the world 
in this shining gospel day. Such sinful deeds of the 
flesh are but the works of darkness and denounced by 
the writers of the New Testament. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 303 

TEA AND COFFEE. 

Like the other stimulants that bring the user into 
bondage, tea and coffee are not mentioned in the Word 
of God. That they are classed among the narcotic 
poisons is acknowledged by all medical authorities. 
' ' Tea and coffee, ' ' says an authentic writer, ' ' weakens 
the action of the heart. They produce headache, 
heartburn, indigestion, constipation, and wakefulness 
at night. The peculiar beating of the heart or palpi- 
tation after much exertion is often due to tea and 
coffee, and produces what is known as the 'tea-drink- 
er's heart.' "* 

The greatest desire of the true, devoted Christian 
is to glorify God in all that he does. No one who is 
careless and unobservant about his manner of life 
can prosper in the things of God. He who is desirous 
of being a shining light for Jesus in this world is care- 
ful that all about him is to the glory of God. He will 
so govern or rule his life, by God's grace, he will 
so subject his appetites and passions, that his whole 
conduct in every respect will be an adornment of the 
doctrine of God his Savior. His or her dress will 
be in perfect accord with the Bible, no worldly air 
will linger in his behavior ; even his eating and drink- 
ing will be such as is glorifying to God. You show 
me an individual that is careless about his diet, led by 

*There is a little book entitled "Tea and Coffee as an Evil," pub- 
lished by the Gospel Trumpet Co. , which gives the opinions, re- 
specting these stimulants, of the best known men of medical science. 



304 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

an unrestrained appetite in eating food highly sea- 
soned and flavored with spices, cinnamons, peppers, 
and mustards, or freely eating of rich cakes, pastries 
and puddings, or in drinking of teas and coffees, and 
I will show you one in whom the ebb of spiritual life 
is very weak and low. It is true, to leave off eating 
condiments and drinking stimulants alone will not 
make you spiritual, but it is a certain fact that if you 
attain to any great degree of spiritual life you will 
abandon the use of these things. It is well known 
among the true children of God that the most spirit- 
ual, and those of the greatest faith do net use tea 
nor coffee. 

Those who walk in close communion with God are 
careful to preserve their physical health. When one 
continues using a certain article of food and drink 
because it is pleasing to the taste, and yet hurtful to 
the body, he will soon by such selfishness destroy his 
spiritual life. "Whether therefore ye eat or drink, 
or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 1 
Cor. 10: 31. "But I keep under my body, and bring 
it into subjection." 1 Cor. 9 : 27. "For if ye live af- 
ter the flesh, ye shall die : but if ye through the Spirit 
do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. ' ' Rom. 
8:13. "Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers 
and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war 
against the soul. ' ' 1 Pet. 2 : 11. " This I say then, Walk 
in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lusts of the 
flesh," .Gal. 5: 16. "But put ye on the Lord Jesus 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 305 

Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil 
the lusts thereof." Rom. 13 : 14. The lust of the flesh 
as used in these and many other texts includes the 
use of alcohol, opium, tobacco, tea and coffee. So we 
have not departed from the Word of God, which is 
a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path, when 
writing on these subjects. Those who most per- 
fectly manifest the life of Christ, those who are the 
most brilliant spiritual reflectors, do not indulge in 
such narcotics. If you value your spiritual prosper- 
ity make these sayings subjects of earnest prayer be- 
fore rejecting them. 

SECRET VICE. 

When we speak of secret sins many are ready to 
charge us with immodesty. It is those who indulge 
in those secret evils that blush the deepest when they 
are publicly mentioned. There are many habits and 
indulgences of man that the pure-hearted Christian 
feels it is a shame to speak of publicly, yet his love 
for fettered, perishing souls moves him to look up to 
God for a modesty and delicacy of speech that will 
not in any sense corrupt the mind of the pure, who 
may read, and yet in terms sufficiently plain to re- 
veal these sins and bring deliverance to many. As we 
have before said, temperance is a law of heaven. For 
the propagation of the race, God has implanted in his 
creatures, male and female, a passion for sexual con- 
nection. This desire in the nature of mankind is 



306 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

really the highest and most sacred. By it this world 
is being populated with souls bound on toward an eter- 
nity. This passion legitimately indulged to the glory 
of God is one of the most sacred, holy and pure. 
Since it is the highest and noblest of all the faculties 
of our being, its abuse must be the very lowest and 
unclean in the depravity of man. 

That this sacred passion has been most degradingly 
abused is witnessed to upon almost every hand. If 
man could behold in one scene the awful consequences 
of this abuse it would be the most beastly and hellish 
that could possibly be pictured. The misery, wretch- 
edness and woe entailed upon mortals by these secret 
indulgences is untold. It is a lust of the flesh that 
brings disease upon the body, destroys the vitality of 
human life and sows the seeds of death in the soul, 
which shall be harvested in the eternal fires of torment. 
These sins of the dark have gone far to obscure the 
pure light of a Christian life. "Ye are the light of 
the world," can never be spoken of those who yield 
to the temptations of this monster vice. The Moon 
in her clear reflection of the Sun is unspotted by such 
evils. Young reader, have you any admiration for a 
pure life ? Does there not slumber in the better facul- 
ties of your nature a love and esteem for the virtuous 
walks of life ? What is nobler or more heavenly here 
upon the earth than a pure, untarnished soul? Oh, 
the sublimity of a Christian life! A youth or maiden 
with pure affections and holy desires, seeking after 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. * 307 

the character of God, is the admiration of angels. As 
God at one time said in the delight of his heart to 
Satan, "Hast thou considered my servant Job, that 
there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an 
upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth 
evil?" so the lovely queen Virtue can say to the 
hideous monster Vice, "Hast thou beheld my admiring 
youth and maiden? There is none like them in all 
the earth, ones that love chastity and escheweth evil 
indul gences. ' ' 



CHAPTER XV. 
THE TRINITY. 



The wonderful grace of God removes sin and its 
nature from the heart. It restores to man 's heart holy 
and pure affections. It will turn away the love for 
sin and fill your soul with peace and purity and your 
mind with a train of holy thoughts. 

That the New Testament teaches a trinity in the 
Godhead is made obvious in Eph. 4 : 4-6. ' ■ There is 
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in 
one hope, of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one 
baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, 
and through all, and in you all." Also in Mat. 28: 
19: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing 
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and 



308 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

of the Holy Ghost." And in 1 Pet. 1:2: "Elect ac- 
cording to the foreknowledge of God the Father, 
through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience 
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ." Jude 
20, 21 : ' ' But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on 
your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, 
keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the 
mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." 
But the most indubitable text upon this subject is 
1 John 5:7: "For there are three that bear record 
in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost : 
and these three are one." Christ is the Word. 
John 1 : 1. 

GOD THE FATHER. 

Father is a title conferred upon the first person in 
the trinity. He is the Creator of all things. Much 
has been written in scholastic theology of God, but 
such is incongruous to this work. Since most men be- 
lieve in the existence of God, the Creator and Father, 
our Scriptural quotations relating to him will be but 
few. 

He is love. 1 John 4:8. It was God the Father 
that so loved this world as to give his only begotten 
Son to die for us that we might live. John 3 : 16. 

He is eternal. "The eternal God is thy refuge, and 
underneath are the everlasting arms. ' ' Deut. 33 : 27. 

He is omnipotent. "And when Abram was ninety 
years old and nine, the Lord appeared to Abram, and 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 309 

said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before 
me, and be thou perfect." 

He is omniscient. ' ' Lord, thou hast searched me, 
and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and 
mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar 
off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, 
and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not 
a word in my tongue, but, lo, Lord, thou knowest it 
altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, 
and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is 
too wonderful for me ; it is high, I can not attain unto 
it.'' Psa. 139:1-6. "Known unto God are all his 
works from the beginning of the world. ' ' Acts 15 : 18. 

He is, omnipresent. ' ' Whither shall I go from thy 
spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If 
I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make 
my bed in hell [Hades], behold, thou art there. If 
I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the 
uttermost parts of the sea : even there shall thy hand 
lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. ' ' Psa. 139 : 
7-10. "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and 
not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in 
secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. 
Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord." Jer. 
23 : 23, 24. 

He is immutable. "For I am the Lord, I change 
not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed." 
Mai. 3 : 6. 

He is the source of all goodness. ■ ' And he said unto 



310 The gospel day ; on, 

him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good 
but one, that is, God. ' ' He dwells within the hearts of 
his saints : ' ' And what agreement hath the temple of 
God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living 
God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and 
walk in them ; and I will be their God, and they shall 
be my people. " 2 Cor. 6:16. 

He is capable of being grieved. "And grieve not 
the Holy Spirit of God whereby ye are sealed unto 
the day of redemption. ' ' Eph. 4 : 30. An influence 
can not be grieved. It is only a person that has feeling 
and affections. 

God in olden time spoke audibly to his people. Such 
an order of things ended when Jesus came. His mis- 
sion in that respect was accomplished. He came in 
the flesh as the Son, and conquering sin and the 
grave through death and resurrection, he ascended to 
the Father. His mission as a sacrifice was completed. 
He now comes in the Spirit. Christ in speaking of the 
Holy Spirit's coming, says, "I will come to you." 
John 14 : 18. Thus the Spirit is Christ or God in an- 
other personage. It is the Holy Spirit that now talks 
to men. He teaches, interprets, guides, comforts and re- 
proves. The children of God once knew God by his 
audible voice. They know him now by the voice of 
the Holy Spirit. You show me a man that denies the 
Holy Spirit, and I will show you a man that does not 
know God. The terms Holy Ghost and God are used 
interchangeably. See Acts 5:3, 4. The attributes of 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 311 

Deity are ascribed unto him as well as unto the Father 
and the Son. 

He is eternal. ' ' How much more shall the blood of 
Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered him- 
self without spot to God, purge your conscience from 
dead works to serve the living God ? ' ' Heb. 9 : 14. He 
is omnipresent. "Whither shall I go from thy Spir- 
it!" Psa. 139:7. He is omniscient. "But God hath 
revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit 
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God." 
1 Cor. 2:10. He is omnipotent. "Through mighty 
signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of 
God." Rom. 15:19. 

"And the angel answered and said unto her, The 
Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the 
Highest shall overshadow thee." Luke 1:35. "For 
that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost." 
Mat. 1 : 20. By this we understand the Holy Spirit to 
have the power of creation. 

Some have erroneously taught that the Holy Spirit 
is the Word. How can they do so when the second 
person in the trinity declares he is the Word? John 
1:1. " For there are three that bare record in heaven, 
the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost." 1 John 
5:7. Is not this plain enough to stop the mouths of 
all such false teachers? 

The office of the Holy Spirit. He is everywhere 
termed the Holy Spirit. It is true, Christ is holy, 
and God is holy, but this term is especially applied to 



3.12 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

the Spirit, because his particular mission is to restore 
mankind to holiness. Holiness and sanctincation, so 
far as they apply to a state, are synonymous terms. 
The Holy Spirit is the sanctiiier. Rom. 15 : 16. This 
is the especial mission and prime work of the Holy 
Spirit. Much is involved in the work of sanctincation. 
In this is the destruction of carnality and division, 
and consequently the unifying of the children of God. 
The Holy Spirit is the agency in answering the prayer 
of the Savior: "Neither pray I for these alone, but 
for them also which shall believe on me through their 
word ; that they all may be one. ' ' John 17 : 20, 21. 
Sanctincation is the work which effects this oneness. 
"For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanc- 
tified are all of one : for which cause he is not ashamed 

to call them brethren. ' ' Heb. 2 : 11. Holiness and uni- 
ty accomplished by the Holy Spirit are the two most 

sublime themes in the New Testament. Nothing ac- 
complished in the mission of the Holy Spirit is more 
glorifying to God. 

GOD THE SON. 

Jesus Christ, the second person in the trinity, is 
also called God. "And Thomas answered and said 
unto him, My Lord and my God. ' ' John 20 : 28. ' ' In 
the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with 
God, and the word was God. ' ' John 1:1. He is God 
revealed in the flesh on a mission of love and mercy to 
this world. He came as a Redeemer or Savior. An 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 



313 



angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream be- 
fore the nativity of the holy child and gave him the 
name Jesus or Savior (see margin of Mat. 1: 21), be- 
cause he should save his people from their sins. He 
was both God and man. Born of a woman, he was 
human. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, he was divine. 
As God, he was not subject to temptation, "for God 
can not be tempted;" but as a man, he endured all the 
temptations common to mankind. In the beginning 
of his ministry he was forty days tempted of the 
devil. 

He is one with God the Father. ' ' I and my Father 
are one." John 10: 30. Because of his divinity he is 
eternal. "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and 
the ending." Rev. 1:8. He is omnipotent. "I am 
Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, 
saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which 
is to come, the Almighty." He is able to subdue all 
things unto himself. Phil. 3: 21. "All power is given 
unto me in heaven and in earth." Mat. 28 : 18. He is 
omnipresent. "For where two or three are gathered 
together in my name, there am I in the midst of 
them." Mat. 18 : 20. "Lo, I am with you alway, even 
unto the end of the world." Mat. 28 : 20. He is omnis- 
cient. "He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son 
of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because 
he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me ? And 
he said unto him, Lord thou knowest all things ; thou 
knowest that I love thee." John 21:17. "Now we 



314 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

are sure that thou knowest all things. ' ' John 16 : 30. 
He is immutable. " Jesus Christ the same yesterday, 
and to-day, and forever. ' ' Heb. 13 : 8. 

His mission to this world was to be offered as a 
sacrifice for the sins of this world. "So Christ was 
once offered to bear the sins of many. ' ' Heb. 9 : 28. 
God prepared a body for his Son which he could bring 
as a sacrifice for the sins of man. "But a body hast 
thou prepared me. ' ' Heb. 10 : 5. Truly, "without con- 
troversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was 
manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of 
angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the 
world, received up into glory. ' ' 1 Tim. 3 : 16. The 
writers of the Gospels record the event of his cruci- 
fixion. On the cross he cried, "It is finished." His 
mission was completed, the sacrifice was made, the 
blood was shed. The blood has a great atoning power, 
the devastation caused by sin is covered by the blood. 
It destroys the works of the devil. 

Provision was made by the atoning blood for sick- 
ness as well as for sin. ' ' When the even was come, they 
brought unto him many that were possessed with 
devils : and he cast out the spirits with his word, and 
healed all that were sick: that it might be fulfilled 
which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Him- 
self took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. ' ' 
Mat. 8: 16, 17. God manifested in the flesh is a per- 
fect Redeemer, the conqueror of sin, sickness and 
death, the destroyer of Satan's works, and the light 
of the world. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 315 

GOD THE HOLY GHOST. 

That the Holy Spirit is a personage many question. 
But the doubts and denials of a nation, or of a world, 
do not change the Word of God. He is the third 
person in the trinity without controversy. The Holy 
Spirit is not a mere emanation or influence, but a per- 
son or being, capable of works, or the performance of 
a mission. As a person he guides: "Howbeit when 
he, the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you 
into all truth." John 16 : 13. He as a person teaches: 
"But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom 
the Father will send in my name, he shall teach 
you all things, and bring all things to your remem- 
brance, whatsoever I have said unto you. "John 14: 26. 

This teacher and guide is not a mere influence, such 
as love. The Scriptures in speaking of the Holy Spirit 
use the personal pronoun. The Holy Spirit as the 
third person in the trinity is the special gift of God 
unto his children: "And, behold, I send the promise 
of my Father upon you. 7 7 Luke 24 : 49. God gave this 
promise by the mouth of his prophet Joel, "And it 
shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my 
Spirit upon all flesh. ' ' Joel 2 : 28. This promise was 
the gift of the Holy Spirit. See Acts 2 : 17, 18, 38. 

Upon whom this gift is bestowed is a subject of 
more controversy perhaps than any other Bible theme. 
There need be no confusion upon this point if all 
would take the plain statements and examples in the 
New Testament. Jesus declares the world can not re- 



316 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

ceive the Spirit. John 14 : 17. The disciples enjoyed 
the experience of regeneration all through the Lord's 
ministry. Some will take issue with us here, but we 
have the whole of the Word on our side, or rather we 
are on the side of the Word of God. They preached, 
they cast out devils, they healed the sick, they rejoiced, 
they prayed, the Lord administered unto them the 
newly instituted ordinance of the Lord's Supper, and 
originated the precious ordinance of feet-washing. 
He told them their names were written in heaven. He 
said he had chosen them out of the world, and that 
they were not of the world, even as he was not of the 
world. He prayed God to keep them from the evils 
of the world, and said that the glory the Father 
gave him he had given them, and that he had kept 
them in his Father 's name, and none of them was lost. 
What more proof do you require to convince you that 
they were not sinners? Some who endeavor to over- 
throw the doctrine of receiving the Holy Spirit as the 
sanctifier subsequent to regeneration, say that "the 
justification of the disciples was an Old Testament jus- 
tification, and not a justification under the gospel, and 
Pentecost was the receiving of the New Testament 
justification." Did you ever hear of a justification 
under the law spoken of as the experience of the dis- 
ciples was spoken of by the Savior? They were not 
like the other Jews that kept the law. They were 
separated from them and persecuted by them. Jesus 
said, "Ye have followed me in the regeneration. ' ' 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 317 

Mat. 19 : 28. It was not a justification under the law, 
but a regeneration in Christ. 

In John, seventeenth chapter, after telling the Fa- 
ther that he had chosen them out of the world and 
kept them in his name, that none of them should be 
lost, he then prays for their sanctification. After 
saying in the sixteenth verse, "They are not of the 
world, even as I am not of the world," in the next 
verse he prays the Father to sanctify them. In Mat. 
9 : 2 Jesus says to the man sick of the palsy, "Son, be 
of good cheer, thy sins be forgiven thee." Was not 
this a gospel justification or pardon? There was no 
offering of the blood of animals to secure a justifica- 
tion by the law. This is to prove that Christ did give 
his followers the experience of the ' ' new birth ' ' before 
his crucifixion. I do not doubt that this man was 
present and received the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. 

Another clear example set before us of the Chris- 
tians in the morning of this gospel day receiving the 
Holy Spirit as the third person in the trinity after 
regeneration, is that of the brethren at Samaria, re- 
corded in Acts, eighth chapter. Philip went down 
thither and preached Christ unto them, and they gave 
heed to the things he spake, ver. 5, 6. Do you not 
think this was a New Testament justification? The 
seventh verse says that unclean spirits were cast out 
and the palsied and lame were healed. Do you sup- 
pose that all this was done unto sinners? The four- 
teenth verse says they "received the word." James 



318 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OB, 

says, "Receive with meekness the engrafted word, 
which is able to save your souls." Jas. 1:21.' The 
sixteenth verse of the eighth chapter of Acts says they 
were baptized in the name of Jesus. The seventeenth 
verse speaks of their reception of the Holy Spirit. 
Some are at this point ready to say that Simon be- 
lieved Philip's preaching and was baptized, and yet 
not saved. This is very true. He was a hypocrite. 
The remainder were not, you know full well. Because 
they were sincere they received an experience, and 
were made fit subjects to receive the Holy Spirit. Be- 
cause he was not saved he could not receive him. 

A similar instance of the outpouring of the Holy 
Spirit upon the previously regenerated is that of 
Cornelius, recorded in the tenth chapter of Acts. We 
are often told that Cornelius was a devout man under 
the law like Moses, Isaiah, and other Old Testament 
prophets. This is only a supposition, and one with- 
out foundation. Cornelius was not a keeper of the law. 
He was a Gentile, a Roman centurion. He had heard 
of Jesus, ver. 36, 37. He had learned enough to be- 
lieve on him for the salvation from sin, but wanted 
to be taught the way of God more perfectly. Under 
Peter's preaching they received the Holy Spirit. In 
the nineteenth chapter of Acts is preserved the ex- 
perience of twelve men at Ephesus. They were dis- 
ciples. The Jews under the law were never called dis- 
ciples. A disciple is a follower or learner of Christ. 
Paul preached to them and laid hands upon them, and 
they received the Holy Ghost. 



THE TJGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 319 

This is the dispensation of the Holy Spirit. As holy 

men were once led and spoken to by God directly, 
holy men are now led and spoken to by the Holy 

Spirit. The man who rejects the power, work and 
light of the Holy Spirit is like a blind man who does 
not believe the existence of a sun because he never 
saw the light. The Holy Spirit calls to the ministry. 
Acts 13 : 1-4. He leads them and directs them where 
to preach or labor. Acts 8 : 26, 29 ; 16 : 6, 7. He created 
the overseers. Acts 20 : 28. Men spake as moved by the 
Holy Spirit. They spake as the Spirit gave them 
utterance. God sets all the members in the body as 
pleases him. 1 Cor. 12 : 18. He does this through 
the agency of the Holy Spirit. 1 Cor. 12:13. Apos- 
tles and prophets and teachers and gifts of healing 
and miracles and tongues are all the gifts of the 
Holy Spirit. The whole work of God is now carried 
on by the Holy Spirit, the third person in the trinity. 



CHAPTER XVI. 
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS. 



WOMAN'S FREEDOM. 
The Scriptural right for women to labor in the gos- 
pel as exhorters, teachers, preachers, etc., is ques- 
tioned by many. To deny women such a privilege is 
contrary to the Christian spirit of equality, and a se- 
rious obstruction to pure gospel light. We (male and 



320 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

female) are all one in Christ Jesus. Gal. 3:28. In 
the kingdom of grace man and woman are on an equal 
footing so far as concerns the work of God. To ex- 
plain some texts that seem to prohibit women from 
laboring in the gospel and to prove positively to you 
that women did so labor in the morning light of the 
church, we will transcribe an article written by Bro. 
Geo. Cole, and which appeared in the Gospel Trumpet. 

"I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a 
servant of the church which is at Cenchrea." The 
church at Cenchrea was a local congregation or assem- 
bly. Phebe our sister—that this personage was a wo- 
man, no one disputes, and she was a servant of the 
church. Servant— diakonos, translated servant in the 
following texts: Mat. 23:11; Mark 9:35; John 12: 
26 ; Rom. 16 : 1. Translated deacon in Phil. 1 : 1 ; 1 
Tim. 3 : 8, 12. Translated minister: Mat. 20: 26, 28 
.Mark 10 : 43, 45 ; Rom. 15 : 8 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 5 ; 2 Cor. 3 
6; 6:4; 11:15, 23; Eph. 3 : 7 ; 6 : 21 ; Col. 1:7, 23, 25 
4:7; 1 Thes. 3:2; 1 Tim. 4:6; Rom. 12:7; 2 Cor. 8 
4; Mat. 25:44; 2 Cor. 3:3; Heb. 6:10; 1:14; 1 Pet. 
1:12; 4:10, 11. 

The extensive use of this word diakonos in the New 

Testament readily determines its meaning. That Paul 
conferred upon Phebe the church title "diakonos" is 

unquestionable, and as such it means minister or dea- 
con. Liddell and Scott's lexicon comments on diakonos 
as used in the New Testament as follows: A servant, 
waiting man or woman, minister, a messenger , a min- 



THE IJGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 321 

ister of the church. Any one can see the above defini- 
tion covers all the ground of elder. I will offer a few 
proof texts. "He that is greatest among you, shall be 
your servant [diakonos]." Mat. 23:11. "Whoso- 
ever will be great among you, let him be your minis- 
ter \ diakonos]." Mat. 20:26. "Ministers [diakonos] 
by whom ye believed. ' ' 1 Cor. 3:5. " Who also 
hath made us able ministers [diakonos] of the New 
Testament." 2 Cor. 3 : 6. "Thou shalt be a good min- 
ister [diakonos] of Jesus Christ." 1 Tim. 4:6. "In 
all things approving ourselves as the ministers [diako- 
nos] of God." 2 Cor. 6:4. "Whereof I was made a 
minister [diakonos]." Eph. 3:7. 

Thus we might swell the testimony that diakonos 
was the common term used in the New Testament 
signifying the ministerial office of minister, elder, 
preacher, etc. Therefore the evidences are in Phebe's 
favor that she was a minister or elder rather than 
a deaconess. If we consider Paul's commendation of 
her standing and the sending of his Roman epistle by 
her, as having some weight, this certainly favors the 
above conclusion. 

PROPHECY. 

Propheteuo— to prophesy publicly, to expound, to 
preach, etc. There were certain prophets and teach- 
ers in the church at Antioch, as Barnabas, Simeon, 
Lucius, Manaen, and Saul or Paul. Acts 13 : 1. They 
were public expounders of the Scriptures. Prophe- 



322 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

sy— to speak, to edify, exhort, and comfort. 1 Cor. 
14:3. A few examples: Zacharias filled with the 
Holy Ghost prophesied. Luke 1 : 67-79. Compare this 
prophecy with Mary's words in Luke 1:46-55. 
' ' They spake with tongues and prophesied. ' ' Acts 19 : 
6. " And Judas and Silas, being prophets also them- 
selves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and 
confirmed them." Acts 15:32. "Mystery of Christ 
which in other ages was not made known unto the sons 
of men, as it is now revealed unto his holy apostles 
and prophets by the Spirit. ' ' Eph. 3:4, 5. Prophets 
were set in the church. "He gave some, apostles; 
and some, prophets." Eph. 4:11. "And Cod set 
some in the church, first apostles, secondarily proph- 
ets. ' ' 1 Cor. 12 : 28. And there were certain prophets 
and teachers in the church which was at Antioch. 
Acts 13 : 1. 

Thus we see the prophets were identical with or 
a constituent part of the New Testament ministry; 
and it only remains for us to prove there were women 
prophets in the church and we have women identi- 
fied with the ministry. Example : Philip the evangel- 
ist, which was one of the seven. "And the same man 
had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy." 
Acts 21:8, 9. "But every woman that prayeth or 
prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth 
her head: for that is even all one as if she were 
shaven." 1 Cor. 11:5. If there were no women 
prophets it were foolish to give directions for them 
while praying or prophesying. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 323 

Joel prophesied, "And it shall come to pass in 
the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit 
upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters 
shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, 
and your old men shall dream dreams: and on my 
servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in. 
those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy." 
Acts 2 : 17, 18. We observe first, men and women 
were placed on equality as prophets; second, this was 
to be a characteristic feature or mark of the last days, 
or last dispensation; third, this was being fulfilled at 
that time, at Pentecost, as women were present. Acts 
1 : 14. All were filled with the Holy Ghost, and spoke 
with tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 
2 : 1-4. 

Paul speaks of the whole church coming together 
into one place. 1 Cor. 14 : 23. This includes both meo 
and women. He says, "But if all [men and women] 
prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, 
or one unlearned, he is convinced of all, he is judged 
of all." ver. 24. In verse 31 he says, "For ye may 
all prophesy one by one, that all may learn, and all 
may be comforted." This was an extended privilege 
to all, though not expected of all, as we see in 1 Cor. 
12 : 29 : " Are all prophets ? ' ' Paul expressly mentions 
those women which labored with him in the gos- 
pel. Phil. 4:3. See Rom. 16: 1, 3, 7, 12. "Labored 
in the gospel." "Elders . . . labor in the word and doc- 
trine," 1 Tim. 5; 17. This was exactly the kind of 



324 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

work that Paul was doing, and those women labored 
with him in the gospel. "In the gospel" signifies 
here, evangelizing, spreading or preaching the gospel, 
etc. Let us not confound ordinary testimony with 
prophesying. A person must have the gift of prophe- 
cy in order to prophesy ; and it is this gift that con- 
stitutes a person a prophet. Proof texts, Rom.12 : 6 ; 
1 Cor. 12 : 10, 28 ; 14 : 1, 3, 6, 12, 29, 39 ; Eph. 4 : 8-11. 
And we have before proved that women did possess 
this gift, hence were prophetesses or public expound- 
ers of the gospel, and hence they have a constituent 
part in the ministry, and as such are just as much 
elders in the church of God as men. 

SILENCE IN THE CHURCH. 

"Let your women keep silence in the churches." 
1 Cor. 14 : 39. " Let him keep silence in the church. ' ' 
ver. 28. If these scriptures had no contexts to ex- 
plain them we would all be silenced in the church. 
The context to the last quotation reads thus, "But 
if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence." 
This makes it clear. Context to the first reads, "For 
it is not permitted unto them to speak: but they are 
commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the 
law. And if they will learn anything, let them ask 
their husbands at home." What kind of speech is 
forbidden? Ans.— Asking questions in the church 
to learn, interrogative speech in the public congrega- 
tion. The law did not prohibit women being prophets 



THE LTGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 325 

or prophesying. See Deborah, in Judges 4:4-14. 
Miriam, Ex. 15 : 20. Anna, Luke 2 : 36. If the law 
did not prohibit women prophesying, Paul did not 
call in question the obedience of the law to prove 
that point. Thus the context explains itself without 
further comment. Does not the character of Jezebel 
"which calleth herself a prophetess" disapprove of 
women prophets ? Rev. 2 : 20. No ! no more than 
Satan's ministers transforming themselves into the 
ministers of Christ would disapprove of the entire 
Christian ministry. The counterfeit proves there is 
a genuine. This is conclusive proof in itself that 
there were true prophetesses in the church in those 
days. 

"Teach nor to usurp authority over the man" (1 
Tim. 2:12), is offered in argument against women 
prophets. Such argument betrays ignorance in the na- 
ture and spirit of prophecy. A woman filled with the 
Holy Spirit, prophesying, speaking unto men to edi- 
fication, exhorting, and comforting, is not usurping 
authority over any one. 

THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY. 

This chapter appears in Gospel Trumpet, written 
by H. F. Jackson. 

1. Abraham. "Accounting that God was able to 
raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also 
he received him in a figure. ' ' Heb. 11 : 19. 

2. Moses. "Now that the dead are raised, even 



326 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord 
the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the 
God of Jacob. For he is not a God of the dead, but 
of the living : for all live unto him. ' ' Luke 20 : 37. 

3. Job. "For I know that my Redeemer liveth, 
and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the 
earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this 
body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall 
see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not 
another; though my reins be consumed within me." 
Job 19 : 25-27. 

4. Isaiah. ' ' Thy dead men shall live, together with 
my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, 
ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of 
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead." Isa. 
26:19. 

5. Daniel. "And many of them that sleep in the 
dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting 
life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 
And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness 
of the firmament; and they that turn many to right- 
eousness as the stars forever and ever. But go thou 
thy way till the end be : for thou shalt rest, and stand 
in thy lot at the end of the days." Dan. 12: 2, 3, 13. 

6. Hosea. "I will ransom them from the power of 
the grave; I will redeem them from death: death, 
I will be thy plagues; grave, I will be thy destruc- 
tion: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes." Hos. 
13:14. 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 327 

THE DOCTRINE DERIDED AMONG THE GREEKS. 

"Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and 
of the Stoics, encountered him. And some said, 
What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth 
to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he 
preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. And 
when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, 
some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee 
again of this matter." Acts 17: 18, 32. 

paul's defense of the doctrine. 

"Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the 
dead, how say some among you that there is no resur- 
rection of the dead?" 1 Cor. 15:12. "But if there 
be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not 
risen: and if Christ be not risen, then is our preach- 
ing vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we 
are found false witnesses of God; because we have 
testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he 
raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For 
if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: and 
if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet 
in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep 
in Christ are perished. Else what shall they do 
which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not 
at all? . . . and why stand ye in jeopardy every 
hour?" 1 Cor. 15:13-18, 29, 30. 



328 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

DEATH TO REIGN UNTIL THE RESURRECTION. 

' ' The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. ' ' 
1 Cor. 15 : 26. 

THE RESURRECTION OP CHRIST ENSURES THAT 
OP HIS FOLLOWERS. 

' ' If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are 
of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen 
from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them 
that slept. For since by man came death, by man 
came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in 
Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made 
alive. But every man in his own order : Christ the first- 
fruits;* afterward they that are Christ's at his com- 
ing." 1 Cor. 15:19-23. 

Christ's promise to raise his followers. 

"And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, 
that of all which he hath given me I should lose noth- 
ing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And 
this is the will of him that sent me, that every one 
which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have 
everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last 
day." John 6:39, 40. 

THE ORDER OF THE RESURRECTION. 

1. The dead will first be raised. "But I would not 
have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them 
which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 329 

which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died 
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus 
will God bring with him. For this we say unto you 
by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and 
remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent 
them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall 
descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice 
of the archangel, and with the trump of God : and the 
dead in Christ shall rise first." 1 Thes. 4: 13-16. 

2. Living saints will be caught up. "Then we 
which are alive and remain shall be caught up togeth- 
er with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the 
air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Where- 
fore comfort one another with these words." 1 Thes. 
4:17, 18. 

THE GLORY OF THE CONSUMMATION. 

"Behold, I shew you a mystery; we shall not all 
sleep, but we all shall be changed, in a moment, in 
the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the 
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in- 
corruptible, and we shall be changed. For this cor- 
ruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal 
must put on immortality. . . . Then shall be brought 
to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed 
up in victory. death, where is thy sting? grave, 
where is thy victory ? The sting of death is sin ; 
and the strength of sin is the law. ' ' 1 Cor. 15 : 51-56. 



330 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

THE MOSAIC LAW. 

There is recorded in the Old Testament the ac- 
count of God giving a law to govern his people Israel. 
This is called a covenant, and was to serve as a school- 
master to lead its subjects to Christ. This law was a 
shadow of good things to come ; that is, it contained 
types and shadows of something real in the blessed 
day of gospel grace. The blood of the animals that 
was shed could not take away sins, but is typical of 
the blood of Jesus, who in the end of the world ap- 
peared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. 
There is no power in the blood of animals to redeem 
man from sin, but we are redeemed with the precious 
blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and 
without spot. The unblemished lamb offered in sacrifice 
under the Jewish economy was typical or a shadow of 
the spotless Christ, slain for the sins of the world. 
The types and shadows of the law all center in Christ. 
When he the substance is come the shadow of neces- 
sity vanishes away. When the shadow meets the sub- 
stance the shadow has an end. The redemption which 
we have in Jesus not only redeems us from sin, but 
also from the bondage of the Sinaitie law. "But 
when the fulness of the time was come, God sent 
forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the 
law, to redeem them that were under the law, that 
we might receive the adoption of sons. ' ' Gal. 4 : 4, 5. 
" Christ *hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, 
being made a curse for us. ' ' Gal. 3 : 13. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 331 

There is no salvation to be obtained by the observ- 
ance of any part or the whole of the law of Moses in- 
cluding the ten commandments. Salvation or re- 
demption is only found in Christ and the gospel. 
"Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by 
his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, 
having obtained eternal redemption for us." Heb. 
9:12. " For what the law could not do, in that it 
was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son 
in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned 
sin in the flesh. ' ■ Rom. 8:3. It is not through the 
law we obtain salvation, but through the gospel. 
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for 
it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth ; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. ' ' 
Rom. 1: 16. "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and 
superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness 
the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls. ' ' 
J.as. 1 : 21. "Being born again, not of corruptible 
seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, 
which liveth and abideth forever. ' ' 1 Pet. 1 : 23. 
In Rom. 1 : 16, Gal. 3 : 28, Rev. 5 : 9, and many other 
texts, we learn that all are accepted by God unto sal- 
vation through Christ. This necessitates an end of 
the law, since the law is given to the Jew only. There 
is no shift or revision made of the law in Christ to 
include both Jew and Gentile ; it is simply done, and 
the gospel succeeds. 
; The apostles very clearly and decidedly teach an 



332 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

abolition of the ancient faulty Sinaitic law. Paul says, 
"Having abolished [destroyed — Webster] in his flesh 
the enmity, even the law of commandments contained 
in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain 
one new man; so making peace. ' ' Eph. 2 : 15. The en- 
mity here spoken of is the enmity or separation made 
between the Jew and Gentile by the Mosaic law. This 
law of the Jews stood as a partition wall between the 
Israelite and the Gentile world. In Jesus this wall was 
torn down, and the Gentile as well as the Jew was of- 
fered salvation. In verse fourteen Paul says, "For he 
is our peace, who hath made both one [Jew and Gen- 
tile], and hath broken down the middle wall of par- 
tition between us. ' ' The Jewish ordinances and laws 
that stood as a mighty wall between the Gentile and 
the Jew were broken down and all the world of every 
kindred, nation and tongue was given equal rights 
under an entirely new order of things. 

The coming of Christ was the fulfilling of the law. 
The law was only given to serve until Jesus came. 
When he came its object or purpose was fulfilled and 
had an end. "But before faith came, we were kept 
under the law, shut up unto the faith which should 
afterwards be revealed. Wherefore the law was our 
schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might 
be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, 
we are no longer under a schoolmaster. ' ' Gal. 3: 
23-25. This is plain, positive language. After faith 
or Christ has come we are no longer under a school- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 333 

master, which is the law. This accords with Rom. 
6 : 14 : * ' For sin shall not have dominion over you : for 
ye are not under the law, but under grace.' ' 

As we have before mentioned, the law <lid not de- 
liver us from the power of sin ; but after grace came 
by Jesus Christ we are not under the law, but under 
grace, and where sin once abounded, that is, had 
power or dominion, grace. now much more abounds; 
therefore sin has no dominion over us. In Rom. 7 : 4 
the apostle tells us we have become dead to the law 
by the body of Christ. 

In the seventh verse, still speaking of this law, to 
which we become dead by the body of Christ, he 
quotes one of the ten commandments, thereby teach- 
ing us that by the body of Christ we are no longer 
under the ten-commandment law. The ten-command- 
ment law simply as the ten-commandment law is no 
more in force and effect than if it were never given. 
Some of the principles embodied in the ten command- 
ments are embodied in the New Testament. These 
are in effect, not because they are principles of the 
ten commandments, but because they are principles of 
the New Testament. Must I as a Christian refrain 
from committing adultery because it is forbidden by 
one of the ten commandments ? We answer, No. But 
as a Christian in this dispensation of the gospel I 
must refrain from such acts because it is forbidden 
in the New Testament. We must live in the spirit of 
the gospel. We could live without violation of this 



334 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

seventh commandment, and yet commit adultery ac- 
cording to the New Testament and be wholly desti- 
tute of the grace of God. Jesus says that "whosoever 
looketh on a woman to lust after her hath commit- 
ted adultery with her already in his heart." Mat. 
5 : 28. The salvation of the gospel removes such un- 
holy desires from the heart. 

"Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law, do 
ye not hear the law? For it is written, that Abra- 
ham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other 
by a freewoman. But he who was of the bondmaid 
was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman 
was by promise. Which things are an allegory: for 
these are the two covenants; the one from mount 
Sinai, which gender eth to bondage, which is Agar. 
For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answer- 
eth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage 
with her children. But Jerusalem which is above is 
free, which is the mother of us all. ' ' Gal. 4 : 21-26. 
Here the apostle uses the two sons of Abraham alle- 
gorically. They represent the two covenants or tes- 
taments. See margin. The one by the bondmaid 
he uses to represent the testament or covenant given 
from Sinai. The one by the free woman, the covenant 
given by Christ, or the New Testament. 

The apostle goes further and tells us what disposi- 
tion to make of the two sons or testaments. "Never- 
theless what saith the scripture? Cast out the bond- 
woman and her son: for the son of the bondwoman 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 335 

shall not be heir with the sou of the freewoman. So 
then, brethren, we are not children of the bondwoman, 
but of the free." Gal. 4: 30, 31. The mission of the 
Sinaitic law is completed. It has finished its course. 
We are in the glorious freedom of the New Testament. 
Paul adds in the next chapter, ' ' Stand iast therefore 
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, 
and be not entangled again with the yoke of bond- 
age." ver. 1. 

He speaks further of the two covenants in the 
eighth chapter of Hebrews, and says, "For if that 
first covenant had been faultless, then should no place 
have been sought for the second. For finding fault 
with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith 
the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the 
house of Israel and with the house of Judah: not 
according to the covenant that I made with their 
fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to 
iead them out of the land of Egypt; because they 
continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them 
not. saith the Lord." What was the covenant that 
God made with Israel when he led them out of the 
land of Egypt? It was the entire law given at Sinai, 
including the ten commandments. Whoever would 
here make a division in the covenant, and say only the 
ceremonial law is included in the covenant mentioned 
in these texts simply makes the assertion to sustain 
some adopted views of his creed. There is no founda- 
tion here for any division, This, first covenant is the 



336 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

whole covenant, and it was faulty. In verse thirteen 
he says it waxeth old and is ready to vanish away. 

Continuing in the ninth chapter the apostle speaks 
of the ordinances of the first covenant, which stood 
in meats and drinks and divers washings, ver. 10. 
These ordinances of the first covenant were imposed 
upon them until the time of reformation. We are 
to understand by this that at the bringing in of the 
reformation they ' ' vanished away. ' ' In the Colossian 
letter he mentions those ordinances together with 
some others as being blotted out at Calvary. We 
will quote his words: "Blotting out the handwrit- 
ing of ordinances that was against us, which was 
contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it 
to his cross. ' ' Col. 2 : 14. In the sixteenth verse he 
tells us what ordinances were blotted out: "Let no 
man therefore [since they are nailed to the cross] 
judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy 
day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days." 
The Jew was denied by the law the privilege of eating 
certain kinds of meat. Such restrictions were nailed 
to the cross, and since Calvary nothing is "common 
or unclean. ' ' Their holy days and solemn assemblies 
at certain stages of the moon find no place in the 
NeAv Testament. The keeping of the Sabbath as 
commanded on the tables of stone was also nailed to 
the cross, therefore let no man judge us or bind these 
things upon us. 

The Sabbath of the ten commandments had its 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 3o i 

mission. It was a shadow of good things to come. 
It was" typical of the rest which is found in Jesus. 
Of all the types and shadows of the Sinaitic covenant, 
none is more beautiful than the keeping of the Sab- 
bath. It foreshadows the rest or peacefulness of 
Christ's kingdom. Jesus says, "Come unto me, all 
ye that labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you 
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for 
I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest 
unto your souls." Mat. 11:28, 29. The Old Testa- 
ment prophets beheld the rest that was to be obtained 
in Jesus: "And in that day there shall be a root of 
Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people ; 
to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be 
glorious.'* Isa. 11:10. 

That the seventh-day Sabbath kept by the Jews is 
the Christian day of worship is a heretical doctrine, 
being taught at the present day. To make clear to your 
understanding that the Sabbath of the ten-command- 
ment law is not the Christian day of worship is our 
object in showing you it was only a type. If it was a 
type then certainly when we have reached the anti- 
type the type has an end. Since the Word of God 
is so plain we feel confident we can make it clear 
and comprehensive to you. We will first quote from 
Ileb. 4:4-11: " For he spake in a certain place of 
the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the 
seventh day from all his works." (See Gen. 2: 1-3.) 
"And in this place again, If they shall enter into my 



338 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR. 

rest." See third verse. "Seeing therefore it remain- 
eth that some must enter therein, and they to whom 
it was first preached entered not in because of un- 
belief: again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in 
David, To-day, after so long a time, as it is said, 
To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your 
hearts. For if Jesus had given them rest, then would 
he not afterward have spoken of another day. There 
remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For 
he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased 
from his own works, as God did from his. Let us 
labor therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man 
fall after the same example of unbelief." 

We now wish to briefly review this quotation. In 
the fourth verse it is said that God rested on the sev- 
enth day from all his works. This is recorded in Gen. 
2: 1-3. This is the "place" that the seventh-day rest 
is spoken of. But this day of rest is only a shadow of 
another day of rest. He speaks of another day. See 
seventh and eighth verses of quotation; also Psa. 95: 
7,8," To-day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your 
heart. " " For if Jesus had given them rest. ' ' Rother- 
ham says, ' ' For if unto them Joshua had given rest. ' ' 
oee also margin of common version. Joshua led the 
children of Israel across the Jordan into the land of 
Canaan. This land is also typical of a restful state 
in the kingdom of grace. Had Joshua given them 
rest he would not have spoken of another day of rest. 
But they did not enter into his rest, therefore there 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 339 

remaineth another day of rest to the people of God. 
What day is it ? It is the gospel day. The marginal 
rendering of the word "rest" is the "keeping of a 
Sabbath. " " Hence there is being left over a sabbath 
keeping for the people of God."— Rotherham. Like 
as God did cease from his own works and rest on the 
Sabbath, and as the Jews kept it strictly as a day of 
rest, so we in Jesus find rest and have ceased from our 
own works. It was all works under the law, but we 
have ceased from such works in Jesus. Therefore the 
Jewish Sabbath day of rest only typifies the blessed 
rest of the day of salvation by grace, and not by works. 
Under the New Testament we keep as one of the ear- 
ly church fathers has said, "The day on which our 
Lord arose." The writings of church history fre- 
quently make mention of Sunday (the first day of the 
week) as being the Christian's day of worship in 
commemoration of the resurrection of our Lord, in 
whom we are a new creation. The weekly meeting to- 
gether of the Christians as recorded in the New Tes- 
tament was always on the first day of the week. See 
Luke 24 : 33 ; John 20 : 19, 26 ; 1 Cor. 16:2; Acts 20 : 
(>, 7. There is not one text in the New Testament re- 
cording a Christian meeting on the seventh day. Here 
are four texts recording meetings held on the first 
day. The Sabbath, as well as the whole of the ten- 
commandment and ceremonial law, finds an end when 
we have come to "another day"— the day of salva- 
tion, wherein we are a new creation. 2 Cor. 5 : 17. 



340 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

W(j will close this subject by quoting 2 Cor. 3, be- 
ginning at verse five: "Not that we are sufficient of 
ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our 
sufficiency is of God; who also hath made us able 
ministers of the New Testament ; not of the letter, but 
of the Spirit : for the letter killeth, but the Spirit giv- 
eth life. But if the ministration of death, written 
and engraven in stones, was glorious, so that the chil- 
dren of Israel could not steadfastly behold the face 
of Moses for the glory of his countenance; which glo- 
ry is to be done away : how shall not the ministration 
of the Spirit be rather glorious ? For if the ministra- 
tion of condemnation be glory, much more doth the 
ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For 
even that which was made glorious had no glory in 
this respect, by reason of the glory that excelleth. 
For if that which is done away is glorious, much more 
that which remain eth is glorious. Seeing then that 
we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: 
and not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that 
the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to 
the end of that which is abolished: but their minds 
were blinded : for until this day remaineth the same 
vail untaken away in the reading of the Old Testa- 
ment; which vail is done away in Christ. But even 
unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon 
their heart. Nevertheless when it shall turn to the 
Lord, the vail shall be taken away. ' ' 

It is with reluctance that we refrain from comment 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 341 

on the above, however we believe the abolition of the 
whole Mosaic system to be so plain to every unpreju- 
diced heart as to render comment unnecessary. 

GOOD WORKS. 

Christians possess a light; they are " children of 
light," and are commanded to "let their light shine." 
How can Christians shine the light of the gospel and 
of God? By their good works. Jesus says, "Let 
your light so shine before men, that they may see 
your good works, and glorify your Father which is in 
heaven." Mat. 5:16. God has ordained that in Christ 
we should perform good works. "For we are his 
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good 
works, which God hath before ordained that we should 
walk in them. ■ ' Eph. 2 : 10. By the apostle Chris- 
tians are exhorted to be careful to mantain good 
works. "This is a faithful saying, and these things 
I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which 
have believed in God might be careful to mantain 
good works." Titus 3:8. Then adds, "These things 
are good and profitable unto men. ' ' 

We have proven by the Word elsewhere that sal- 
vation from sin is not attained by good works alone, 
but after we are saved by grace we retain the grace 
by a strict and faithful performance of all Christian 
duties. The first neglect to perform a known duty 
is the first step the Christian takes on his return to the 
1 ' beggarly elements of the world. ' ' We are commanded 



342 THfi GOSPEL DAY ; OS, 

to "search the scriptures." By looking into this 
perfect "law of liberty," and conforming our lives 
to the glorious truth taught there, we will be led into 
the beautiful walk of Christian virtue and duty. 
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is 
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, 
for instruction in righteousness that the man of God 
may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good 
works." When a house is "thoroughly furnished" 
we understand it is furnished in every room up-stairs 
and down. The Scriptures are given us that by 
searching them and receiving of their corrections, 
reprovings, and instructions we may be furnished in 
every department of our capabilities with good works. 
If man obeys the voice of the inspired Word of God 
he will be "a vessel unto honor, sanctified and meet 
for the Master's use, and prepared unto every good 
work." Christians should be rich in good works. 
' ' That they do good, that they be rich in good works, 
ready to distribute, willing to communicate." 1 Tim. 
6:18. 

Saints should be fruitful in good works. "That 
ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, 
being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in 
the knowledge of God. ' ' Saved people in some texts 
of Scripture are likened unto good trees. They are 
a tree that is abounding with the fruit of every good 
work. Christians are admonished to be ready to every 
good work. ' ' Put them in mind to be subject to princi- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 343 

palities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to 
every good work." Titus 3 : 1. They should be estab- 
lished in them. "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, 
and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and 
hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope 
through grace, comfort your hearts and stablish you 
in every good word and work." 2 Thes. 2:16, 17. 
They should abound to all good works. "And God 
is able to make all grace abound toward you ; that 
ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may 
abound to every good work. ' ' 2 Cor. 9:8. 

The apostle prayed that they should be made 
perfect in every good work. "Now the God of peace, 
that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, 
that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood 
of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in 
every good work to do his will, working in you that 
which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus 
Christ : to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. ' ' 
Heb. 13 : 20, 21. This is a most precious text. "Work- 
ing in you ' ' in the margin is rendered ' ' doing. ' ' All 
the good things a Christian does is not him doing it, 
but it is God doing it in him, so he is not found going 
about telling what he has done. 

Saints should provoke each other to good works. 
' ■ And let us consider one another to provoke unto love 
and to good works. ' ' Heb. 10 : 24. We know of no 
better way to provoke others to good works than 
by setting a good example before them. All their 



344 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

good works should be done in wisdom and meek- 
ness or humility. "Who is a wise man and en- 
dued with knowledge among you? let him shew out 
of a good conversation for conduct], his works with 
meekness of wisdom. ' ' Jas. 3 : 13. 

The people of God do not adorn themselves with 
gold and pearls and costly array to appear beautiful, 
"but with good works." 1 Tim. 2: 9, 10. What can be 
more lovely than a character beautified by the 
ornaments of every good work in the meekness of 
wisdom? Glory to the name of Jesus! My soul feels 
like crying, "Lord, work more of thy good works in 
the hearts of thy people." Man's works shall be 
brought into judgment. "For we must all appear be- 
fore the judgment-seat of Christ ; that every one may 
receive the things done in his body, according to that 
he hath done, whether it be good or bad." 2 Cor. 5: 
10. "For God shall bring every work into judgment, 
with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether 
it be evil." Eccl. 12:14. 

That will be an awful hour when we are called be- 
fore the tribunal of God and there have to unfold to 
the incomprehensible One our true character. Oh, 
what will it be worth in that day to hear him say, 
"Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom 
prepared for you from the foundation of the world : 
for I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was 
thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, 
and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 345 

sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye 
came unto me." Mat. 25:34-36. 

CHRISTIAN GIVING. 

The cheerful giving of our worldly goods to help 
the needy or for the furtherance of the cause of 
Christ is a work very commendable in the sight, of 
the Lord. ''But this I say, He which soweth spar- 
ingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which sow- 
eth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every 
man according as he purpose th in his* heart, so let 
him give, not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God 
loveth a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all 
grace abound toward you; that ye, having all suffi- 
ciency in all things, may abound to every good work: 
as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad; he hath 
given to the poor: his righteousness remaineth for- 
ever." 2 Cor. 9:6-9. 

To quote from the writings of a Christian friend 
will be sufficient on this subject, we think, to enable 
the reader to see the beauty and blessings in giving 
unto the needy and the cause of Christ as unto the 
Lord. 

1 ' We find both in prophecy and in the New Tes- 
tament much about giving. In Amos, chapter four, 
we read, 'Hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, that 
are in the mountain of Samaria, which oppress the 
poor, which crush the needy, which say to their mas- 
ters, Bring, and let us drink. The Lord God hath 



346 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

sworn by his holiness, ... I also have given you 
cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of 
bread in all your places : . . . also I have withholden 
the rain from you, when there were yet three months 
to the harvest. ... I have smitten you with blasting 
and mildew : when your gardens and your vineyards 
and your fig-trees and your olive-trees increased, the 
palmer worm devoured them._ ... I .have sent among 
you the pestilence, . . . yet have ye not returned unto 
me, saith the Lord.' 

"Dear ones, has such been your experience? Have 
your crops failed in this manner, and suffered for 
want of rain ? Let us read further : ' Return unto me, 
and I will return unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. 
But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man 
rob God ? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, 
Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offer- 
ings. Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have 
robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring ye all the 
tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat 
in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the 
Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows 
of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there 
shall not be room enough to receive it. And I will 
rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not 
destroy [corrupt, margin] the fruit of your ground; 
neither shall your vine cast her fruits before the time 
in the field, saith the Lord of hosts. ' Mai. 3 : 7-11. 
' ' Bring in the tithes and offerings, that God may be 



THE LIGHT Otf OHRlSTiA]SriTY. 34? 

pleased with you, and bless your labors that they 
be profitable. Before we proceed further, let us 
notice what offerings are accepted with God. 'But 
to do good and to communicate [share] forget not : for 
with such sacrifices God is well pleased. ' Heb. 13 : 16. 
To whom shall we communicate, or with whom shall 
we share ? ' Let him that is taught in the Word com- 
municate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 
. . . And let us not be weary in well-doing : for in due 
season we shall reap, if we faint not/ 'Gal. 6:6-9. 
Here is one class. Share with those who teach you in 
the Word. 'Distributing to the necessity of saints; 
given to hospitality. ' Rom. 12 : 13. Distribute to 
needy saints, and God will never let you come to 
want for so doing. There is yet another class. 'As 
we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto 
all men, especially unto them who are of the house- 
hold of faith.' Gal. 6:10. 

"We will now look into the New Testament Scrip- 
tures to see what God has promised there. These are 
Jesus' own words: 'Give, and it shall be given unto 
you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken to- 
gether, and running over, shall men give into your 
bosom. For with the same measure ye mete withal 
it shall be measured to you again. ' Luke 6 : 38. Sure- 
ly if any one is needy, he had better begin giving and 
receive the hundredfold. No danger of coming to 
Want with such a promise from the great God hang- 
ing over you. Move out and no longer fear; for 



348 THE GOSPEL E>AV ; OR, 

'my God shall supply all your need according to 
his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. ' Phil. 4 : 19. 
'Yes/ says some one, 'you ministers and gospel work- 
ers can depend upon God for what you need, but 
we must work for what we get.* Will you please 
turn to Phil. 4 : 9 and read on down very carefully. 
You will see that Paul was writing to them concern- 
ing giving; telling them how once and again he had 
received their gifts, and how he is still encouraging 
them to give more. He says, 'Not because I desire a 
gift: but I desire fruit that may abound to your 
account.' ver. 17. And that he had received 'the 
things which were sent from you, an odor of a sweet 
smell, a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.' 
I Giving to the poor and needy, or sending the gospel 
to those who sit in darkness, is an odorous sacrifice 
to God. How beautiful! The remembrance of our 
deeds of charity and hospitality being a sweet odor 
unto God must make such offerings a delight— Auth.] ■ 
Then he gives them this great promise that God would 
supply all their needs. He was not talking to preach- 
ers at all, although we can rest upon this promise, but 
to the church at Philippi. And the same Lord is 
rich unto all who call upon him. Praise his name! 

"Now, you who are at home laboring in temporal 
things, and can not go yourselves to minister the 
Word of God to others, just let go of everything and 
get down before God and ask him how much you can 
give to help this work along. Here is an opportunity 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 349 

to do good to all men. And 'as ye have therefore 
. opportunity, do good unto all men, ' then you can take 
these promises for your own and depend upon God to 
supply all your needs. You can and need to be 
just as much given up to God, and just as dependent 
upon him as the ministry is. Who will help now, by 
means and prayers, to send the gospel to every crea- 
ture and every land?" 

Good works do not cease with giving. There are 
many opportunities for all to do good that God might 
be glorified. Even the poor will find many opportu 
nities for doing something that will benefit some 
fellow creature, exalt the name of Jesus and bring 
a blessing to their own soul. There are the sick and the 
discouraged to be visited and prayed with. There are 
kind and sympathetic words that need to be spoken 
to lighten the burden of some weary heart. All 
around us are opportunities for loving deeds and good 
works that can be done as unto Jesus, which are 
precious treasures being laid up for us in the glory 
world. 

EATING OF MEATS. 

Many are the arguments on this subject from the 
pulpit and the press, from the wise and not wise ; 
and many have been deceived and led to believe that 
to eat or refuse to eat certain kinds of meat is a 
duty they either owe to themselves or to God. Many 
professed gospel preachers spend much time in dis- 



350 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

cussing this subject of meats, and would have their 
followers believe that the eating of certain kinds of 
meat is an offense against God, and through their 
selfishness and ignorance endeavor to prove their 
arguments from the law of Moses, which was abso- 
lutely done away with when Christ died on the cross 
as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I have no more 
to do with the law of Moses than I have with any law 
that has been repealed by the last act of Congress. 
It is disannulled and taken away by the one that 
succeeds it. Paul says, ''Christ the end of the law 
for righteousness to every one that believeth. " Rom. 
10:4. 

The law was merely a temporary form of govern- 
ment until Christ should come, to whom the promise 
was made. It served as a schoolmaster to bring us to 
Christ, but when Christ came we were no longer under 
a schoolmaster. Gal. 3 : 19, 24. 

' ' Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever 
of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from 
grace. ' ' Gal. 5 : 4. " That no man is justified by the 
law in the sight of God, it is evident : for, The just 
shall live by faith. ' ' Gal. 3:11." Christ hath redeemed 
us from the curse of the law. " Gal. 3 : 13. These scrip- 
tures show plainly that the law of Moses can not 
be taken as proof of the righteousness which Jesus 
Christ established ; for, says the apostle, ' ' The law was 
given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus 
Christ. ' ' John 1 : 17. So then the law was neither 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 351 

grace nor truth as regards matters pertaining to you 
and me. 

The New Testament Scriptures settle most ques- 
tions beyond all doubts, and leave no room for discus- 
sion. Paul speaks very lightly of this matter of 
eating meats, and his language shows it to be of no 
importance whatever. He says, ' ' Meats for the belly, 
and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both 
it and them." 1 Cor 6:13. "For the kingdom of 
God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and 
peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost." Rom. 14: 17. The 
apostle means to set forth the idea that the kingdom 
of God has nothing to do with meat and drink, and 
such trifling things as dieting ourselves is not taken 
into consideration. But the kingdom of God is right- 
eousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost; it 
is a spiritual, not a physical existence. I may eat all 
kinds of meat and be in the kingdom of God, or T 
may eat no meat and be in the kingdom of God. 

Christ said, "There is nothing from without a 
man, that entering into him can defile him; but the 
things which come out of him. . . . Are ye so without 
understanding also? do ye not perceive that whatsoever 
thing from without entereth into the man it can not de- 
file him ; . . . because it entereth not into his heart, but 
into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, pur- 
ging all meats." Mark 7 : 15, 19. "That which cometh 
out of the man, that defileth the man. For from 
within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, 



352 THE GOSPEIi DAY ; OR, 

adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, 
wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blas- 
phemy, pride, foolishness: all these evil things come 
from within and defile the man." Mark 7:20-23. 
Paul says, "Let not him that eateth despise him 
that eateth not ; and let not him which eateth not 
judge him that eateth: for God hath received him." 
Rom. 14: 3. "I know and am persuaded by the Lord 
Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to 
him that esteemeth anything to be unclean, to him it 
is unclean." Rom. 14:14. And again, "Let no man 
therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect 
of an holy day, or of the new moon, or of the sab- 
bath days." Col. 2:16. Paul says, "The Spirit 
speaketh expressly [notice he says the Spirit speak- 
eth expressly], that in the latter time some shall 
depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, 
and doctrines of devils: speaking lies in hypocrisy; 
having their conscience seared with a hot iron ; forbid- 
ding to marry, and commanding to abstain from 
meats which God hath created to be received with 
thanksgiving of them which believe and know the 
truth. For every creature of God is good, and noth- 
ing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiv- 
ing: for it is sanctified by the Word of God and 
prayer." 1 Tim. 4:1-5. 

Now note carefully the apostles language. Those 
who forbid to marry and command to abstain from 
meats are classed with those who hold forth the doc- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 353 

trine of devils, and speak lies in hypocrisy. It is the 
doctrine of devils to say that any meat is unclean; 
for said he, God created them and they are his crea- 
tures. Then he goes on to say to Timothy, "If thou 
put the brethren in remembrance of these things, 
thou shalt be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nour- 
ished up in the words of faith and of good doctrine, 
whereunto thou hast attained." 1 Tim. 4:6. If any 
kind of meat is offensive to me, there is no law either 
natural or divine that says I must eat. I have a 
right to abstain from it if I choose. It is no sin for 
me to do that, but I have no right to say to others, 
It is a sin .for you to eat pork or any other kind of 
meat. 

THE SIN AGAINST THE HOLY GHOST. 

"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin 
and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: but the 
blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be for- 
given unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word 
against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him : but 
whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall 
not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in 
the world to come." Mat. 12:31, 32. 

"Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven 
unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith 
soever they shall blaspheme: but he that shall blas- 
pheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, 
but is in danger of eternal damnation: because they 



354 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

said, He hath an unclean spirit. ' ' Mark 3 : 28-30. 

'•And whosoever shall speak a word against the 
Son of man, it shall be forgiven him: but unto him 
that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost it shall not 
be: forgiven. " Luke 12:10. 

From these texts of Scripture we learn that all 
manner of sin is pardonable, save one, the blasphemy 
against the Holy Ghost. There is no crime too great, 
or sin too deeply dyed to be forgiven, except the 
one designated in these scriptures. Well might it 
be asked, What is that sin? It is evident that the 
Holy Spirit (which is the same as the Holy Ghost) 
is no more supreme or important than others of the 
trinity ; so therefore why should all blasphemy against 
the Father or Son be pardonable, and the blas- 
phemy of the Holy Spirit be unpardonable. The an- 
swer will be found to lie in the nature and office work 
of the Holy Spirit, as being different from that of the 
Father or Son. Of course the Father, Son, and Holy 
Spirit are all one; yet they might well be considered 
as three, when we speak of their respective offices. 
The Father, the grand author of all good, the Creator 
of the world, the one who holdeth all things in his 
control, the designer of the glorious plan of re- 
demption of fallen man. The Son, the one on whom 
that redemption depended, who only was found wor- 
thy to open the book and loose the seals of the divine 
plan, and thus make salvation possible. The Holy 
Spirit, the one who, after the Father aud Son had 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 355 

perfected their work, was sent to reprove the world of 
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He it is that 
strives with men by way of a kind of inherent knowl- 
edge, testifying to them of salvation's waters flowing 
free, and that they should forsake sin and plunge 
therein. By the Holy Spirit is God's way of mani- 
festing himself to men, convicting them of sin, right- 
eousness, and judgment. True, as Paul says, God 
' ' hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son ; ' ' 
but notice, it is "hath spoken." The Son has done 
his part, we have his words on record, and he is 
at the right hand of the Father; and he has himself 
said that he would go away, that the Comforter 
(Holy Spirit) might come. And now we are living 
in the special dispensation of the Holy Spirit. 

The sin against the Holy Ghost, as it is commonly 
called, is also known as the "unpardonable sin," and 
the "sin unto death." See 1 John 5:16. As we 
before said, the answer to the question, Why is it 
unpardonable, lies in the very nature of the Holy 
Spirit's relationship to man. Are we to suppose that 
it is some sin too heinous to be forgiven? or that 
God has decided that this sin is one that bears too 
heavily against his willingness to forgive? or, in 
other words, that his great love is not sufficient, were 
it weighed in the balance with this sin ? Nay ; that is 
not the light in which it is to be regarded. This is a 
sin that is different in its effects from other sins. It 
is one by which man unprivileges himself to be saved. 



356 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

He disconnects himself, so to speak, from all possible 
operations or strivings of the Spirit of God with him. 
He might blaspheme God, or the Son, and it would 
be the same as any other sin. But he 'blasphemes the 
Spirit whenever he takes action against (and casts 
out, so to speak) that inherent principle in him which 
tends to draw him to God. By so doing he places him- 
self outside the realm of possibilities, as regards his 
own salvation; for he severs all possible communica- 
tion from God to him, unless it be what is manifest 
by the presentation of awful fear of approaching 
damnation. 

It will be seen that in committing this sin a man by 
choice wilfully places himself in such a position, in 
reference to the inner dictations of the Spirit, that 
the latter is killed or destroyed. He can blaspheme 
God, and the convictions of the Spirit in him be unaf- 
fected, save that continual so doing might lessen them; 
but when he blasphemes the Spirit — it being so inter- 
woven as to be, in a sense, a part of himself— he in- 
volves his own soul, by taking a stand against him- 
self, as it were, thereby unfitting and unqualifying 
himself to be further affected by the Spirit. He 
drowns, dissolves, annihilates the inner strivings of 
the Spirit. 

If we examine carefully the quotation from Mark, we 
see by verse thirty that the reason Christ said what he 
did about blasphemy against the Holy Ghost was be- 
cause certain scribes said he had an unclean spirit, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 357 

and east out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. 
Now whether they thereby committed the blasphemy 
of the Spirit, we do not know; but from Christ's 
words that followed, a strong inference could be drawn 
that they did. It was at least a close step to it, and 
depended on the degree of inherent knowledge they 
had that Jesus was the Christ. If they did it igno- 
rantly, it was not blasphemy. 

In the sixth chapter of the Hebrews, verses four to 
eight, the apostle speaks of such as have been partakers 
of the Holy Ghost, and were enlightened, etc., who, if 
they shall "fall away," directly disinherit themselves 
of the privilege of being renewed unto repentance, 
and "crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, 
and put him to an open shame." By so doing they 
virtually do violence to the Spirit's convictions to 
such an extent that they blaspheme the Spirit. We 
are persuaded that Paul here had no reference to a 
person being overcome of the devil in some great 
temptation so as to commit sin, while at the same time 
the soul protests against sin. That would not be fall- 
ing away (as here meant) from the love, neither the 
faith of God. Indeed, it is the very love of God, as 
well as the Spirit 's convictions, that causes such a one 
to have immediate sorrow for the sin committed, and 
causes the soul to quickly flee to God again. But 
what the apostle meant by ' ' falling away ' ' was to f or- 
sake the Lord, give up the faith, walk no more in the 
truth or with God's children, and be content to live 



358 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

in sin. But take notice of the standard which he 
gives, from which ■ ' falling away ' ' may be considered. 
He says, "those who were once enlightened," had 
"tasted of the heavenly gift," were "partakers of the 
Holy Ghost, ' ' had ' ' tasted the good word of God, and 
the powers of the world to come ; " if such fall away— 
forsake the Lord and choose to live in sin— they soon 
become incapable of being affected by any manifesta- 
tion of the Spirit or any inducement held out to them 
—a deplorable, lost condition! bearing only thorns 
and briers! whose end is to be burned! Now we ask, 
Who ever saw any one come back to God who was 
content to remain away from God, after having had 
the experience described in Heb. 6:4, 5 ? We have 
seen some who exactly correspond to the description 
Paul gives here, but we have never known any suck 
to come back to the truth. May we use this, as the 
apostle intended it, as a warning against unfaithful- 
ness to God. 

In Heb. 10 : 26-29 the apostle makes mention of the 
same conditions, only in a different way. Here he 
speaks of sinning wilfully "after that we have re- 
ceived the knowledge of the truth." Of course, all 
sin, to be sin, is done more or less wilfully; but the 
apostle can not have reference to a sin committed on 
account of a spiritual lack, while the soul meaningly 
presses on in the race for God. We know that such 
a sin does not unfit one to become pardoned again, 
the Holy Spirit is not blasphemed, and therefore the 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 359 

sacrifice (Christ) still remains, to which the soul may 
flee. To ' ' sin wilfully ' ' here means more, as is unmis- 
takably implied in verses twenty-eight and twenty- 
nine. He illustrates by one who despised Moses' law, 
as though he now means one who is despising the law 
of Christ; and he explains himself in verse twenty- 
nine, where we see he has reference to one ' ' who hath 
trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted 
the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sancti- 
fied, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the 
Spirit of grace." Here "sin wilfully" comprehends 
the blasphemy of the Spirit, and he evidently means, 
by the term, a wilful turning again to a life of sin, 
a deliberate giving up of the faith, and choosing sin 
instead. This is also used as a stimulus to the saints 
to exhort one another, and neglect not the assembling 
of themselves together," or the provoking unto love 
and good works, etc. 

From these two places in the Hebrews it might be 
supposed that to be in an unpardonable condition a 
person must have once been saved. But the apostle 
in both places is necessarily addressing saved people, 
and holds up such a condition as a warning against 
unfaithfulness. He deals in what is applicable to 
them. But this does not prove that a man who has 
never known the way of truth may not also place him- 
self where he is unpardonable. 

It is safe and Scriptural to take the stand that a 
person is pardonable so long as he is capable of be- 



360 



THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 



ing sorry for his sin, for God's sake, or of having a 
real desire to love and serve God. The promise and 
privilege is to "whosoever will." This is as broad as 
broad can be, and whoever wills can know assuredly 
that salvation is for him, notwithstanding the dispu- 
tations of the devil to the contrary. In Heb. 12 : 16, 
17 one would infer from the apostle's illustration of 
Esau that a person can be in a condition where re- 
pentance may be earnestly desired, even with tears, 
yet impossible to be found. But genuine repentance 
is not implied here. The margin has it, "He [Esau] 
found no place to change his mind," instead of "no 
place for repentance. ' ' A person may commit the 
unpardonable sin and still desire to change his condi- 
tion or lot; he may through fear of eternal damna- 
tion desire rather the position of a Christian: but he 
never repents, he can not repent, it is not "in him" 
to repent, he will not meet the conditions for salva- 
tion, and no one can get him to do so. He may 
bewail his condition and stand in dread of the judg- 
ment, from a feeling of selfish protection ; he may be 
sorry for his sins as a criminal may be sorry for 
his crime when he is sentenced to be punished: but 
he has no inclination to godly sorrow; in fact, 
the spirit of the man and the Spirit of God are 
incompatible ; he has placed himself where the Spirit 
of God can in no way bring itself to bear upon him. 
Oh, how awful is such a state! But he is not con- 
scious of any awfulness from having offended God; 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 361 

his awfulness proceeds from a sense of his being eter- 
nally lost. The only impulses that might draw such 
a one to seek the Christian state are those of the 
selfish kind, just as a man may desire salvation from 
a belief that it would be conducive to his selfish inter- 
est. A person will never get an experience of salva- 
tion through such motives ; and in the case of the one 
who has committed the blasphemy of the Spirit, he 
may have such motives, but he can never have the 
genuine kind, or in other words, be drawn of the 
Spirit. Such a sin need not be prayed for. 1 John 
5 : 16. It is certainly a sin unto death. 

In conclusion we would say that the unpardonable 
sin is not to be regarded as some particular sin, sin- 
gled out from all others, as though it were some form 
of murder, lying, or stealing, more heinous than the 
rest. But it lies in the nature of the sin committed, 
as affecting the relationship with the Holy Spirit. A 
person may have committed a whole list of the black- 
est crimes, and yet not have committed the unpardon- 
able sin; or vice versa, a person may have a good 
standing in point of morality, and yet have blas- 
phemed the Spirit, and severed himself from all pos- 
sibility of repentance. We would say to every de- 
spairing soul seeking salvation, that if you are capa- 
ble of having the least godly sorrow on account of 
your sin, or a real, inward desire to serve God, you 
can rest assured that you have not committed the 
unpardonable sin. If you feel the Spirit of God tell- 



362 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

ing you that you ought to be saved, then salvation 
is for you. The unpardonable sin deprives a person 
of the desire to will to love and serve God and obey 
the truth. So in the language of Scripture we con- 
tinue to hold out the blessed invitation— "Whosoever 
will, let him take the water of life freely. ' ' Amen. 

THE CONSCIENCE. 

When we behold the mechanism of man, we are 
made to exclaim with the Psalmist, "I am fearfully 
and wonderfully made ; marvelous are thy works ; and 
that my soul knoweth right well." Man is so con- 
stituted as to experience a feeling of joy when a de- 
sired object is obtained, or a feeling of disappointment 
if it is not obtained. When danger approaches he 
intuitively seeks to avert it, and experiences a feeling 
of gladness if he succeeds. Among the elements of 
man's moral nature the highest and most important, 
perhaps, is the conscience. Conscience is a principle 
which God has placed in man's moral being to teach 
him what is right and what is wrong. Some have said 
that conscience is the ' ' voice of God in the soul. ' ' It 
is a voice that is inaudible to the ear, but we feel it 
speaking in us, saying, "This action is right," or, 
"That action is wrong." We believe that Solomon 
was referring to the conscience when he said, "The 
spirit of man is the candle of the Lord, searching all 
the inward parts of the belly. ' ' Prov. 20 : 27. 

Where there is no known law, conscience becomes 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 363 

our guide and the standard by which we are judged. 
For proof of this we will quote Rom. 2 : 14, 15 : " For 
when the Gentiles, which have not a law, do by na- 
ture [a kind of intuitive knowledge of right] the 
things contained in the law, these, having not the 
law, are a law unto themselves; which shew the work 
of the law written in their hearts, their conscience 
also bearing witness, and their thoughts the 
meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." 
In many circumstances of life we have no written 
law of God to guide our actions, consequently must 
be directed by reason and conscience, which are high- 
ly analogous. To be perfectly and properly directed 
by the conscience necessitates a close walk with God. 
"Keeping in touch with God" is God in our conscious 
being, impressing us with proper actions, and leading 
us in the right way, and showing us the relationship 
existing between the pure soul and the Deity. Where 
there is no written law of God to direct the actions in 
a certain circumstance, those who experience a close 
connection with God will always act the most wisely ; 
because the "candle of the Lord" (the conscience) is 
a light in them, impressing them with feelings of 
right in the matter, 

The conscious principle in the moral nature suffered 
greatly in the fall of man, and is seriously impaired 
by violation of the known laws of God, or laws of 
conscience. There is a beautiful harmony between 
truth and ^ correct conscience. Obedience to the 



364 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OB, 

truth is always approved by an unimpaired conscience. 
When a known truth is violated, a searing- influence 
is introduced upon the conscience, which grows with 
every violation, until the conscience becomes seared 
as with a hot iron. Dangers of delusion lie in the 
fact that after a succession of violations, the conscience 
becomes so morbid that it fails to be a correct judge oi 
action. After a time a man can violate a plain truth 
without experiencing any sting of conscience; there- 
fore he concludes his actions are right, because he ex- 
periences no condemnation, though they are in op- 
position to the truth. There is great beauty in the 
thought, and gratification in the knowledge, that by 
obedience to the truth we can obtain a sound moral 
condition, whose conscientious principles are so acute 
that there is a timely warning at every approach of 
error. 

To possess a purged, pure, and undefiled conscience 
is our privilege in the economy of grace. See Heb. 
9:14; 1 Tim. 3:9; Titus 1:15. To possess an un- 
impaired conscience and then so meet all our obliga- 
tions to God and man is to have a conscience void 
of offense. What implicit confidence we can have in 
God when in a normal moral condition, and have an 
uncondemned heart. Enoch walked with God and 
had the witness (consciousness) that he pleased the 
Lord. What can bring greater happiness to the heart 
of man? The man who, having an undefiled moral 
being has a conscience void of offense toward God and 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 365 

man, experiences a satisfaction and a happiness un- 
surpassed by any mortal being. 

THE TWO FAMILIES. 

The Scriptures talk of two classes of people on the 
earth. The inhabitants of this globe are by the Word 
of God divided into two great families. One family is 
termed the righteous, and the other the unrighteous. 
One is the godly, the other the ungodly. One is the 
holy, the other the unholy. The righteous family is 
likened unto or called sheep, the unrighteous family, 
goats. Mat. 25 : 32, 33. They are interspersed 
throughout the earth. When the Son of man is come 
they shall be separated. One family shall be ad- 
mitted into an eternity of bliss, the other into an eter- 
nity of punishment. One family is represented by a 
good tree, the other by an evil tree. In the parable of 
the sower the Savior likens one family unto wheat, 
and the other unto tares. 

Since there are two families there are, of course, 
two fathers. God is the Father of one of these fam- 
ilies (2 Cor. 6:18), and Satan is the father of the 
other. John 8 : 44. These fathers are sometimes called 
masters. ' ' One is your Master, even God. ' * Now eve- 
ry individual on the globe is either in servitude to 
one or the other of these masters— never to both. 
"No man can serve two masters/ ' "His servants ye 
are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death or of 
obedience unto righteousness, ' ' 



366 

The Scriptures so plainly locate the dividing line 
between these two families that all can very well 
know to which family they belong. Those who are 
born into God's family do not commit sin. 1 John 
3 : 9 ; 1 John 5 : 18. Those belong to the devil's fam- 
ily who do commit sin. 1 John 3 : 8. This is very 
plain. None need be mistaken. Those who do not 
commit sin are the wheat or good seed, and are chil- 
dren of the kingdom. Those who do commit sin are 
the tares or children of the wicked one. Mat. 13. 
Those who do not commit sin have their names writ- 
ten in heaven. But those who sin do not have their 
names written there (Ex. 32:33), therefore are not 
members in the family of God. 

It is said that some people are mistaken as to which 
family they belong, but it is "not every one that 
saith, Lord, Lord, that shall enter into the kingdom of 
heaven. ' ' God 's family are righteous, they are holy, 
they are pure, they are saints. Satan's family are 
unrighteous, they are unholy, they do not believe 
in purity, they commit sin. The Savior has gone to 
prepare a place for his own so that where he is there 
they may forever be— glory! glory! Those who live 
and die in sin can not go to that pure and happy 
place. John 8:21. Dear friend, get ready. Live a 
pure, holy life and spend an eternity in the blissful 
presence of our dear Redeemer. God bless you, is my 
sincere prayer. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 367 

THE TWO WAYS. 

This earth is only man's transitory home. He 
lives here a few years, then goes to an eternity. There 
are two abodes or dwelling-places for man in that 
eternity. One is called heaven, the other is called hell. 
One is a place of peace and joy, the other a place of 
torment and woe. One place is called eternal life, 
the other is called eternal death. 

As man enters upon his journey of life two ways 
are set before him. Deut. 30 : 15, 19. One way leads to 
heaven, and is called the way of life and good. The 
other way leads to hell, and is called the way of 
death and evil. The way to heaven is denominated the 
holy way, where walk the redeemed. The ransomed 
ones go singing on this way with crowns of joy upon 
their heads. This way shines more and more, bright- 
er and brighter, as it nears the end. 

The way to hell is denominated the way of the 
transgressor. It is a hard way. There is no peace 
there, no rest. The darkness becomes more dense, 
and fears increase as it nears the end. The way to 
everlasting life in heaven is called a narrow way. 
Mat. 7 : 14. There are few that walk this way. The 
way that leads to destruction is a broad way. Mat. 
7 : 13. There are many who are walking in that way. 
Dear reader, will you not choose the way of life and 
make heaven your eternal and happy home? 



368 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

CONCLUSION OF PART FIRST. 

We have now reached the conclusion of the first 
division of the Gospel Day, namely, The Morning. 
We have not given the reader our opinion, or our in- 
terpretation of the Scriptures, but we have given the 
pure, simple Bible truths as taught by Christ and the 
apostles. It is not our doctrine, but the doctrine of 
him that sent us. What we have taught is in perfect 
accord with the Bible, and who can gainsay it? 

To believe, experience, and live the truths of God's 
Word is to be a light in the world. To disbelieve any 
part, to come short of any part in practical life, is to 
be to the same extent in darkness. Christ was a light 
because he was the Word. The early church and apos- 
tles were a light because they believed, experienced 
and practised in life the whole Word. The Bible was 
written in their hearts as well as in the book. The 
Bible never changes, God never changes, the nature 
of faith and grace never changes, and true gospel light 
never changes. What created light in the first century 
of this Christian era will create light in any other 
century, and nothing but what was light in the prim- 
itive days of Christianity will be light at any other 
time. Whatever may be claimed to be light, if it is 
not the light of Christ, is a false light. 

May God help people to see the true light. Oh, 
glorious light of the morning ! Christ and his church 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 369 

in all humility, gentleness, spotlessness and love. In 
their lowly, inoffensive walk with' God, holy, harm- 
less, undefined, unblamable, .separated from and un- 
spotted by the world, persecuted, rejected, and de- 
spised by men. Enduring all without a murmur, 
contented in any and every circumstance of life; 
counting everything joy, glorying in tribulation, pa- 
tient in imprisonments, in stripes, in tumults, in hun- 
ger, in fastings, in necessities, in afflictions, in distress- 
es, always rejoicing. When reviled, they reviled not 
again; when they suffered they threatened not, but 
showing all meekness and gentleness unto all men, 
loving and praying for their enemies, feeding them 
when they hungered and giving them drink when they 
thirsted, preaching the gospel without money and 
without price, led exclusively by the Holy Spirit, 
having power with God over devils to cast them out, 
to heal the sick and lame, to restore sight to the 
blind and hearing to the deaf, to give speech to the 
dumb, and to raise the dead. Wonderful light of 
the gospel morning ! Dear reader, we invite you to 
look upon the picture. See it in its beautiful trans- 
parent effulgent light. Pure as heaven, holy as a 
band of angels, peaceful as the silent, flowing river, 
harmless as the gentle dove, in a oneness equal with 
the holy trinity, and conquerors of sickness, sin and 
Satan. Such was the pure virgin bride of Christ— the 
church— when she was the light of the world. 

24 



370 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

O Moon — so fair in the rosy morn, 
Reflecting the light of Christ — the Sun, 
So spotless and pure in robes of white, 
Beautiful, wonderful city of light. 

-^^ ©f^*— ~ — - 

PART. II 

THE NOONDAY: 

or, 

THE DOCTRINES OF AN APOSTATE RELI- 
GION OBSCURING THE GOSPEL LIGHT. 



The prophet Isaiah said, "The morning cometh, 
and also the night." Isa. 21:11, 12. A dark night 
succeeded the morning of this gospel day. Jesus said 
to his disciples, "But in those days, after that tribula- 
tion, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall 
not give her light." Mark 13:24. The tribulation 
here spoken of was the siege and destruction of Jeru- 
salem, the city of the Jews, by the son of Vespasian, 
A. D. 70, in which eleven hundred thousand persons 
perished. Josephus says of this time, "The suffer- 
ings indeed of the devoted inhabitants are such as hu- 
manity shudders to contemplate, and over which pity 
is glad to throw a veil.'* This is the tribulation of 
which our Lord spoke. The darkening of the sun 
and moon was the fading away of the gospel light. 



TEE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 371 

About the year 96 A. D. the writings of the New 
Testament were closed. From that time we have only 
history to tell us of Christianity and its light in the 
life of men. That the noontime of this gospel day 
was dark, is unquestionable. To ascertain as near as 
possible the date of the close of the morning light 
and the beginning of the dark noonday we must re- 
sort to history. No one can rightly object to this. 
We assure you we will extract nothing that will con- 
flict with the inspired and infallible Word of God. 
Where the Word of truth is silent and we can gain in- 
formation from authentic history it must certainly 
be proper and right. Historical facts only verify 
and explain the truthfulness of the Scriptures. 



CHAPTER I. 

THE DATE OP THE BEGINNING OF 
NOONDAY. 



SABINE S ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY. 

In speaking of Constantine's expedition to Rome 
in the year 311, when there appeared supernaturally 
a cress above the sun, he says: "During the vicissi- 
tudes in the state, the church exhibits nothing pe- 
culiarly great. Among the common people there were 
doubtless many truly devoted in the spirit of their 
mind, and among them many that loved the divine 



372 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

Savior above life itself; but among the bishops and 
pastors nothing like what we saw in the past cen- 
tury. Indeed the principal events in the internal de- 
partment of the church are rather more to its dis- 
grace than its honor." 

Speaking further of this time in another chapter 
he says: "The pagan temples were pulled down or 
converted into Christian churches ; the exercise of the 
old priesthood was proscribed and the idols destroyed ; 
elegant structures for Christian worship were raised, 
and those already erected, enlarged and beautified; 
the episcopacy was increased and honored with great 
favors and enriched with vast endowments ; the ritual 
received many additions; the habiliments of the cler- 
gy were pompous, and the whole of the Christian ser- 
vice at once exhibited a scene of worldly grandeur 
and external parade. What a mighty change! But 
a short time since, and Christianity was held in sov- 
ereign contempt: now she is a favorite at court, and 
the companion of princes. Alas! such is the change, 
that it scarcely affords ground for triumph. The 
kingdom of our God and his Christ is become a king- 
dom of this world, and the church of Jesus reduced 
to a mere worldly sanctuary. The glory is departed, 
the gold is become dim, and the fine gold is changed. 

"Indeed prelatical pride had been rising very high 
for a century before this. The pastors had forgotten 
their Master's instruction, 'Be ye not called Rabbi; 
for ye are brethren.' Lord bishops and archbishops 



The light op Christianity. 373 

and all the spirit of such distinction had been long 
enough upon the advance to congratulate such an em- 
peror as Constantine. The materials for a hierarchy 
having been prepared it was no difficult thing for a 
set of worldly-minded bishops, countenanced by a 
prince, to put them together. Under all these cir- 
cumstances, real religion was not likely to be bettered 
by such a reverse in external affairs, and so the event 
proved. The ancient contest, which was for the faith 
once delivered unto the saints, declined apace, and a 
strife for worldly honor, fleshly gratification, anr 
spiritual dominion substituted in its stead." 

Such was the true condition of things in the year 
311. Surely there had been a change, the kingdom of 
God had become the kingdom of the world, the glory 
was gone, strivings for worldy honor, fleshly gratifi- 
cation, and spiritual dominion had taken the place of 
"striving for the faith once delivered to the saints." 
What a change from the humble, self-denying, flesh 
crucifying days of Christ and the apostles. Truly we 
can say sometime before this the morning light had 
dimmed and died, and darkness intervened. The his- 
torian does not fix this elate (311) as the beginning of 
the dark noonday. (The reader already begins to 
see, no doubt, why it was dark at the noontime. ) He 
says in a preceding chapter, "About A. D. 264, a con- 
siderable stir was made by Paul of Samosata, bishop 
of Antioch. 'Great was the falling off in this church 
since the renowned Ignatius. The principles of Paul 



3?4 TH£ GOSPEL DAY ; OS, 

were exceedingly loose, and his practise was cor- 
respondent. ' lie rejected the divinity of the Son and 
substituted his own reason for the light of the Spirit. 
The way in which he lived fully proved that he was 
a man of the world. ' ' 

The historian proceeds to tell more of this bishop's 
wicked life. The Scriptural qualifications of a bish- 
op are, blamelessness, the husband of one wife, vig- 
ilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, 
apt to teach; "not given to wine, no striker, not 
greedy of filthy lucre ; but patient, not a brawler, not 
covetous ; one that ruleth well his own house, having 
his children in subjection with all gravity." 1 Tim. 
3: 3, 4. The seventh verse adds: "Moreover he must 
have a good report of them which are without. ' ' Such 
a bishop must be, in the very strictest sense, to be 
a light in the world. Here was a bishop, of perhaps 
the strongest Christian congregation in the world, al- 
most everything to the contrary. How true the Sav- 
ior's prophecy: "The moon shall not give her light, 
and the stars of heaven shall fall. ' ' Paul, of Samosata, 
became so wicked he was deposed from his office and 
became a "fallen star." 

Sabine speaking of divisions and their causes says: 
4 ' In this century the general church was rent in twain. 
This century also produced a train of other officers 
(beside bishops and de.acons), such as subdeacons, 
who were all to the deacon what the presbyter was to 
the bishop ; acolytes, persons to attend at service time 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 375 

on the ministers; cstiaries, doorkeepers; readers, men 
who were appointed to read the Scriptures in public • 
exorcists, officers of weak and superstitious appoint- 
ment, whose business was to pretend to expel the devil 
from the candidate for baptism. All these encroach- 
ments and changes mark, strongly mark, a great de- 
cline in the spirit and power of primitive Christian- 
ity." 

All of these things, and many more similar ones, 
were occurring in the latter part of the third cen- 
tury. 

In the year of our Lord 248 Cyprian was ordained 
a presbyter in the church at Carthage. Ten years 
later he laid down his life for Jesus. It is said of 
him that he "displayed a benevolent and pious mind 
and evinced much of the character of the Christian 
pastor in the affectionate solicitude with which he 
watched over his flock. In epistle eleven he says : " It 
must be owned and confessed that the outrageous and 
heavy calamity which hath almost devoured our flock, 
and continues to devour it to this day, hath happened 
to us because of our sins, since w T e keep not the way 
of the Lord, nor observe his heavenly commands, 
which were designed to lead us to salvation. Christ 
our Lord fulfilled the will of the Father, but we neg- 
lect the will of Christ. Our principal study is to get 
money and estates; we follow after pride, we are at 
leisure for nothing but emulation and quarreling, and 
have neglected the simplicity of faith. We have re- 



376 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

nounced this world in words only, and not in deed. 
Every one studies to please himself and to displease 
others. ' ' 

This account of professed Christianity at this time 
by Cyprian is confirmed by the testimony of Euse- 
bius, who was nearly contemporary with him. 
ki Through too much liberty they grew negligent and 
slothful, envying and reproaching one another, wag- 
ing, as it were, civil wars among themselves, bishops 
quarreling with bishops, and the people divided into 
parties. Hypocrisy and deceit were grown to the 
highest pitch of wickedness. They were become so in- 
sensible as not so much as to think of appeasing the 
divine anger ; but like atheists they thought the world 
destitute of any providential government and care, 
and thus added one crime to another. The bishops 
themselves had thrown off all concern about religion, 
were perpetually contending with one another, and did 
nothing but quarrel with and threaten and envy and 
hate one another: they were full of ambition and 
tyrannically used their power."— Eusebius' History, 

Book VIII, Chap. I, as quoted in Jones' Church His- 
tory. 

ruter's church history, (third century.) 

"With the opinions, the Christian teachers had 
adopted the habits and manners of the philosophic 
school. They assumed the dress of the pompous 
sophist, and delivered the plain doctrines of the gos- 
pel with strained and studied eloquence. ' ' 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 377 

''This season of external prosperity was improved 
by the ministers of the church for the exertion of ne^ 
claims and the assumption of powers with which they 
had not previously been invested, "—p. 52. 

' ' Several alterations in the form of church govern- 
ment appear to have been introduced during the third 
century. Some degree of pomp was thought neces- 
sary to render so singular an institution respectable 
to the minds of a gross multitude who are only capa- 
ble of judging from external appearances. As their 
numbers increased their labors became proportionally 
greater, and it was necessary to provide assistance 
and more agreeable to good order to assign to each 
his proper function. Inferior ministers were there- 
fore instituted, who derived their appellations from 
the office they filled. 

"These ministers probably derived their emolu- 
ments, not merely from the precarious bounty of the 
society, but from a certain proportion of the fixed 
revenues of the church. The principal of them had 
obtained before the close of this century the posses- 
sion of several considerable estates, which had been 
bequeathed or presented to the church. The external 
dignity of the ministers of religion was accompanied 
by a still greater change in its discipline. The simple 
rules prescribed by the apostles for the preservation 
of good order in the church branched out into so 
many luxuriant shoots that it was difficult to recog- 
nize the parent stem."— p. 53. 



3?8 *he Gospel day ; ofi^ 

' ' A. regular form of discipline began to take place 
during the third century in every matter which fell 
within the cognizance of the church." p. 51. 

Following this, Ruter gives an account of the pen- 
itents seeking salvation who had to proceed step by 
step. The first degree was to prostrate themselves in 
the avenues of the church building. Here they were 
called flentes. In the second degree they were allowed 
to enter the building and hear the sermon. Here they 
were called audientes. In the third degree they were 
allowed to unite in prayers offered in their own be- 
half. Here they were called genuflect cntes. In the 
fourth degree they were allowed to approach the al- 
tar and were called consist elites. In the taking of 
these degrees the penitents were compelled to appear 
in sackcloth and ashes, and in some places the men 
were obliged to shave their heads and the women to 
wear veils. The duration of their penitence was reg- 
ulated by the bishop. He could make the time of tak- 
ing these degrees short, or extend it to any length. 
This was called an indulgence. 

This is shocking in the extreme. Where in the hum- 
ble acts of Jesus and his apostles do you hear of such 
an order of things? Truly at this time the sun was 
darkened, and the moon did not give her light, and the 
stars had fallen. How true now appears the prophecy 
of Isaiah: "The people of thy holiness have Possessed 
it but a little while : our adversaries have trodden 
down thy sanctuary." Isa. 63: 18. Jesus says, "Lay 



TH$5 LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 3?9 

not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth," and 
Paul says to the bishop to be "not greedy of nlthy 
lucre ' ' ; and Peter says, ' ' Taking the oversight not 
for filthy lucre's sake"— and here before the close 
of the third century we find the bishops coming into 
possession of large estates through the revenues of 
the church, and as Cyprian has said of the bishops 
of this time, "Our principal study is to get money 
and estates." 

We have before us Mosheim's Church History. In 
speaking of the internal history of the church in the 
third century he says that "the bishops of Rome, 
Anticch and Alexandria had a kind of preeminence 
over all others, and particularly the bishop at Rome. ' ' 
There was a change in the form of government and 
this change was followed by a train of vices. "Many of 
those who had the administration of the church affairs 
were sunk, he says, "in luxury and voluptuousness, 
puffed up with vanity, arrogance and ambition; pos- 
sessed with a spirit of contention and discord. They 
appropriated to their evangelical function the splen- 
did ensigns of temporal majesty : a throne, surrounded 
with ministers, exalted above his equals, the servant 
of the meek and humble Jesus. . . . The titles of sub- 
deacons, acolythi, ostairii, readers, exorcists, copiatse, 
would never have been heard of in the church if its 
rulers had been assiduously and zealously employed 
in promoting the interest of truth and piety by their 
labors and their example." He gives an account of the 



380 THE GOSPEL DA^T ; Oft, 

trouble in the church of Rome between Cornelius and 
Novatian, in the year 250, who were aspirants for the 
Roman See. 

Eusebius tells of the increasing vices, schisms, quar- 
relings of the bishops, of their greed for money and 
preeminence in the last half of the third century. In 
speaking of the bishops and pastors who had the ad- 
ministration of church government in the year 260, 
he says : ■ ' But some that appeared to be our pastors, 
deserting the law of piety, were inflamed against each 
other with mutual strifes, only accumulating quarrels 
and threats, rivalship, hostility and hatred to each 
ether, only anxious to assert the government as a kind 
of sovereignty for themselves." Then he adds, "As 
Jeremiah says, 'The Lord in his anger darkened the 
daughter of Sion [the church or moon], and hurled 
from heaven to earth the glory of Israel. ' ' ' 

By this we learn that Eusebius would place the 
darkening of the church, or the beginning of the dark 
noonday, near the year 260 A. D. Quotations could 
be transcribed from Coleman, Marsh, Waddington and 
others, in which they all place the close of the morning 
light and the rise of the apostasy or dark noonday 
between the years 260 and 280 A. D. To our knowl- 
edge, Joseph Milner is the only non-contemporary his- 
torian that fixes the date to any definite time. He 
says, "I know it is common for authors to represent 
the great declension of Christianity to have taken 
place only after its external establishment under Con- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 381 

stantine. But the evidence of history has compelled 
me to dissent from this view of things. In fact we 
have seen that for a whole generation previous to the 
persecution, few marks of superior piety appeared. 
Scarce a luminary of godliness existed, and it is not 
common in any age for a great work of the Spirit of 
God to be exhibited but under the conduct of some 
remarkable saint, pastor and reformers. This whole 
period as well as the whole scene of the persecution 
is very barren of such characters. Not but that many 
precious children of God suffered in much patience 
and charity. But those who suffered with very much 
of a different spirit, found no pastor to discounte- 
nance their self-will and false zeal : a sure sign that 
the true spirit of martyrdom was less pure than it had 
formerly been. Moreover the prevalence of super- 
stition on the one hand, and the decay of evangelical 
knowledge en the other, are equally apparent. Christ 
crucified, justification purely by faith, and the effec- 
tual influences of the Holy Ghost, . . . were ideas at 
least very faintly impressed at that day on Christian 
minds. It is vain to expect Christian faith to abound 
without Christian doctrine. Moral and philosophical 
and monastical instructions will not effect for men 
what is expected from evangelical doctrine. And if 
the faith of Christ was so much declined (and its 
decayed state ought to be dated from about the year 
270) we need not wonder that such scenes as Euse- 
bius hints at without any circumstantial detail took 



382 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OB, 

place in the Christian world." —Century IV, p. 31. 

After searching history we find no objection in 
making use of the year 270 A. D. as the date of the 
beginning of the dark noontime. Milner says at 
this time, "Scarcely a luminary of godliness existed. 
The great luminaries, or lights, were eclipsed and 
darkness reigned. Some of our contemporary writers 
have fixed upon this year as the date of the rise 
of the beast power, which created this darkness. "The 
real papacy was set up, not at the Nicene Coun- 
cil, A. D. 325, as some affirm; but we find vivid 
traces of the very same beast authority as early as 
A. D. 27 '0."— Biblical Trace of the Church. In the 
city of Nice in Bithynia, A. D. 325, was held what is 
called "The First General Council." Theresas pres- 
ent at this council the Emperor Constantine, as the 
historian says, "Like an angel of God exceeding all 
his attendants in size, gracefulness and strength, and 
dazzling all eyes by the splendor of his dress, show- 
ing the greatest humility, seated in a chair covered 
with gold. ' ' There were present at this meeting three 
hundred and eighteen bishops, and a number of dea- 
cons and subdeacons, amounting in all to two thou- 
sand and forty-eight persons. Here was drawn up 
a creed, declaring to be the only true and orthodox 
faith. It bears the title of Nicene. This creed was 
at once confirmed at Rome by two hundred and 
seventy-five bishops, and was the setting up of the 
Roman hierarchy. This council can not however with 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 383 

propriety be said to be the true setting up of the 
beast power. Nearly all the forms and doctrines of 
this creed had been observed and taught by the bish- 
ops and pastors for several decades. The most sen- 
sible date, and most consistent with revelation, for 
the bringing in of the dark noontime of the gospel 
day is A. I). 270. We feel confident that no one can 
rightfully object to us making use of this date for 
this work. Those who do so must do it through preju- 
dice or ignorance. 



CHAPTER II. 



SCRIPTURAL PREDICTIONS OF AN 
APOSTASY. 



Who has not wondered, as they read of the 
Savior's and the apostles' warnings of "false teach- 
ers," grievous wolves, delusive powers, and decep- 
tive lights, what it all could mean? These things 
certainly are not without meaning. Jesus says, "And 
many- false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive 
many. And because iniquity shall abound the love 
of many shall wax cold. For there shall arise false 
Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great 
signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possi- 
ble, they shall deceive the very elect. ' ' Mat. 24 : 11, 
12, 24. The Son of God foretells the arising of 
false pi-ophets and teachers. He tells us how they 



384 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

may be known. "Beware of false prophets, which 
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they 
are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their 
fruits." Mat. 7:15, 16. 

By the pen of the apostle John we learn something 
of the fruit of these false, deceiving prophets. "For 
many deceivers are entered into the world, who con- 
fess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This 
is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, 
that we lose not those things which we have wrought, 
but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever trans- 
gresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, 
hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of 
Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there 
come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, 
receive him not into your house, neither bid him 
Godspeed: for he that biddeth him Godspeed is par- 
taker of his evil deeds." 2 John 7-11. The fruit of a 
false prophet is a false doctrine. A doctrine in op- 
position to the plain, simple doctrine of Christ is the 
principal characterizing feature of a deceiver. The 
doctrine of Christ is light. All who <ibide in the 
doctrine of Christ are a light in the world. Any doc- 
trine contrary to the doctrine of Christ is darkness, 
and its propagator, a deceiver and an antichrist. 
This same apostle in his first letter, cautions us to 
"try the spirits |and doctrines], whether they are 
of God : because many false prophets are gone out 
into the world,- Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 385 

Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come 
in the flesh is of God : and every spirit that confesseth 
not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God : 
and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have 
heard that it should come; and even now already it 
is in the world. ' ' 1 John 4 : 1-3. 

We feel like it would be justice to the reader to here 
explain how we can confess that Christ is come in the 
flesh, and how we can deny that he has so come. That 
this does not refer to his personal coming in the flesh, 
as a sacrifice for sin, is evident. But few but what 
confess that Christ was here in the flesh as recorded in 
the Gospels, yet many of them are not of God. Jesus 
says, "We will come unto him and make our abode 
with him. " " Know ye not that ye are the temple of 
God?" "For ye are the temple of God; as God hath 
said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I 
will be their God, and they shall be my people. " "At 
that day ye shall know that I am in the Father, and 
ye in me, and I in you. ' ' John 14 : 20. That day spok- 
en of is when the Holy Spirit would come and teach 
them all things. That was at Pentecost. Then they 
knew that Christ was in them. This then is Christ 
come in the flesh. 

Now it is not every one either that confesses by the 
word of mouth that Christ dwells in them that are of 
God. A Scriptural confession is not by word only, but 
by the deed, or life. Every one who confesses by their 
life that Christ is come in the flesh or dwells in them 



3$8K THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

must and will abide in the whole doctrine of Christ, 
and live just as he lived. Such a one is of God, and 
is a light even as Christ was a light. Whoever rejects 
any of the Savior's doctrine, and does not, and will 
net, experience and practise it in his life, the same is 
an antichrist, however much he may profess to be of 
God. Try all doctrines and spirits by the doctrine of 
Christ, is the infallible rule. 

THE PROPHECY OF PAUL. 

"For I know this, that after my departing shall 
grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the 
flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speak- 
ing perverse things to draw away disciples after them. 
Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of 
three years I ceased not to warn every one night and 
day with tears. ' ' Acts 20 : 29-31. Paul saw the awful 
apostasy from, the simple faith of Christ arising. The 
shadows of the dark noonday were slowly and surely 
creeping on. He beholds it with tears. This was not 
really some heathenish foreign power, but he says it 
should be men of their own selves arising, speaking 
perverse things. He saw that the leaders and overseers 
of the flock (see ver. 28) would become greedy of world- 
ly gain, contentious, followers, after pride, filled with 
envy, loving preeminence, speaking things contrary to 
the doctrine of Christ. It had begun to work already 
m his day. "The mystery of iniquity doth already 
work." 2 Thes. 2:7. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 387 

John says these false prophets "even now already 
are in the worlrl." Even before the apostles had 
closed their labors they saw this dark power working. 
Year after year, decade after decade, it developed 
and grew. Star after star had fallen until by the 
middle of the third century there was ' ' scarcely left a 
luminary of godliness in existence." 

Paul seeing the great crisis coming, is in fear. "But 
I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve 
through his subtilty, so your minds should be cor- 
rupted from the simplicity that is in Jesus. For if 
he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we 
have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, 
which ye have not received, or another gospel, which 
ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with me. ... 
For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, trans- 
forming themselves into the apostles of Christ. An<i 
no marvel ; for Satan himself is transformed into an 
angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his 
ministers also be transformed as the ministers of right- 
eousness; whose end shall be according to their 
works." 2 Cor. 11: 3, 4, 13-15. Thus Paul gives warn- 
ing to the Corinthians of false apostles and deceitful 
workers. All of this certainly is not without meaning, 
fie foresees great danger. He earnestly exhorts the 
Thessalonian brethren to be not soon shaken, saying: 
"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day 
shall not come, except there come a falling away first, 
and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition: 
who opposeth and exaJteth himself above all that 



388 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

is called God, or that is worshiped; so that he as God 
sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he 
is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with 
you, I told you these things? And now ye know what, 
withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 
For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only 
he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of the 
way. And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom 
the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, 
and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 
even him, whose coming is after the workings of Sa- 
tan with all power and signs and lying wonders." 2 
Thes. 2:3-9. 

This is indeed a wonderful and an awful prophecy. 
Surely a dark image cr power called a "man of sin" 
and ''son of perdition" shall arise and eclipse the 
sun (Christ) and the moon (the church) and cause 
the stars (the holy ministry) to fall. "There shall 
come a falling away first. ' ' This has direct reference 
to the corruption of God's professed people led by an 
exalted, selfish, greedy and blinded ministry. "The 
falling away" is translated from the Greek apostasia, 
and means a departure. Lexicographers define the 
word as meaning "an abandonment of what one has 
professed." In this text it means an abandonment 
of the true principles and doctrines of Christianity. 

That "man of sin," "son of perdition," or, as in 
Rot herb am 's translation, "man of lawlessness," and 
"son of destruction," is what arose and obscured the 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 389 

sunlight. This epithet is given to Judas Iscariot, the 
betrayer of Christ, in John 17:12. This "man of 
sin" is a betrayer of Christ and his pure doctrine. 
This "man of lawlessness," no doubt, has reference 
directly to the pope of Rome as the prime factor in 
the apostasy ; but in its broadest sense it includes the 
whole of the beast religion, both Romanism and Prot- 
estantism. This "man of sin" is a manism, or a pow- 
er under the government of man, and is identical with 
the beast power of Rev. 13. This ' ' son of destruction" 
' ' opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called 
God." He opposes or denies, and perverts the doc- 
trines of God that are not congenial to his desires. 
He denies in a measure the divine authority, and 
forms creeds and laws for the government of God's 
people, thus arrogating to himself what properly be- 
longs to God. They take upon themselves such titles 
as ' ' Father, " " Holy Father, " " Vicegerent of the Son 
of God," "Doctor of Divinity," "Reverend," etc. 
These are titles or distinctions belonging to God only. 
' ' Call no man your Father, ' ' is the command of Jesus ; 
and, "Be ye not called Rabbi. ' ' 

Vicegerent is one acting in the place of another. 
The pope's claim was that God had ceased to reign 
and had delegated all power unto himself— the power 
to forgive sins and to grant indulgences. An indul- 
gence is an act of the Roman pontiff, wherein men by 
making certain vows and paying certain sums of mon- 
ey receive pardon of their sins. By the payment of 
certain amounts they can commit most any crime and 



390 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

their purchased indulgence absolves them from guilt. 

THE PRICE OF PARDON. 

Below we will give an extract from page 263 of 
''The Master Key to Popery," by Anthony Gavin, 
formerly one of the Roman Catholic priests at Sara- 
gossa, Spain. He says : According to a book called 
the ■ ' Tax of the Roman Chancery, ' ' in which are con- 
tained the exact sums levied for pardon of each par- 
ticular sin, we find some of the fees to be thus: 

Robbing a church $ 2.25. 

Simony 2.25. 

Perjury 2.00. 

Forgery and lying 2.00. 

Robbery 3.00. 

Burning a house 2.75. 

Eating meat in Lent 2.75. 

Killing a layman 1.75. 

Striking a priest 2.75. 

Procuring abortion 1.50. 

Priest to keep a concubine 2.25. 

Kavishing a virgin 2.00. 

Murder of father, mother, brother, sister 
or wife 2.50. 

Nun for fornication in or out of 
the nunnery 5.00. 

Marrying on a day forbidden : . . . 10.00. 

Adultery committed by a priest with nuns 
and others 10.00. 

Absolution of all crimes together 12.00. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 391 

Following this we will give a^ few of the secreigin- 
structions of the Jesuits as revealed by Z. T. GriMa: 

"A Christian (Romanist) may deliberately discard 
his Christian character and act like other men in those 
things which are not properly Christian. By the com- 
mand of God it is lawful to murder the innocent ,- to 
rob and commit all lewdness because he is Lord of all 
things, and thus to fulfil his mandate is our duty. 

" It is lawful to kill an accuser whose testimony may 
jeopardize our life and honor. 

"If an adulterous priest, aware of his danger, hav- 
ing visited an adulteress is assailed by her husband, 
kills the man in his own defense, he is not a criminal. 

"Papist children may accuse their parents of her- 
esy, although they know their parents will be burned. 

"A priest may kill those who hinder him from tak- 
ing possession of any ecclesiastical office. 

' ' Servants may secretly steal from their masters as 
much as they judge their labor is worth more than 
the wages which they receive. 

"A woman may take her husband's property to sup- 
ply her spiritual wants and to act like other women. 

"A witness is not bound to declare the truth be- 
fore a lawful judge, if his deposition will injure him- 
self or his posterity, or if he be a priest ; for a priest 
can. not be forced to testify before a secular judge. 

"Priests may kill the laity to preserve their goods, 
etc." 

Such appears extremely shocking to a man of in- 



392 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

tegrity and principle. Such laws and tolerations and 
the direct sale of indulgences brings a blush of shame 
to a moral man, and much more to the Christian. 
The sale of indulgences is not true of Romanism 
only. Throughout the realms of Protestantism there 
is a shameful sale of these indulgences in an indirect 
way. Wicked and designing men are tolerated and 
fellowshiped by the sect ministry because of their 
liberality to the church. It is true it matters not if 
a man does occasionally get drunk, or if he does de- 
fraud his neighbor, or commit adultery, abuse his 
wife, attend theaters, and such like sins, if he is a 
liberal contributor to their treasury, he is smiled at, 
welcomed and encouraged to be faithful. 

While in the papacy we find such titles as "Holy 
Father," etc., in Protestantism we find the "D. D." 
and "LL. D." and "Reverend." They who assume 
such honorary titles set themselves up to be equal with 
God. The word "reverend" is from the Hebrew 
"yare," and means "to be feared." So man is thus 
setting himself up as one to be feared, when the Word 
of the Lord tells us to ' ' fear not man, but fear G-od. ' ' 
"Holy and reverend is his name." God alone is to 
be revered, and for man to prefix such a title to his 
name is to sit as God in the temple of God. 

Popes and bishops are found in the councils and 
conferences framing laws and passing resolutions for 
the government of their membership and for the qual- 
ifications of a minister, like as if God had ceased to 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 393 

reign and there was no Bible and they alone were 
invested with power to govern and control the king- 
dom of heaven. The qualifications of a minister in 
some of the popular denominations of to-day are a 
certain number of years in school and a certain num- 
ber of histories and commentaries mastered. The 
qualifications as given by Paul are almost wholly 
ignored. The profession of the ministry in the sect 
world has been dragged down to a level with the pro 
fessions of the world. A young man decides to be a 
physician. He goes to school and learns his profes- 
sion. He receives his diploma, comes out and prac- 
tises what he was taught at school, and makes his 
living thereby. Another young man decides to be 
a lawyer. He studies for that profession, is admitted 
to the bar, practises, and makes his living thereby. 
Another young man decides to be a preacher. He 
goes to school and learns his profession. He is li- 
censed, comes out and preaches, and makes his living 
thereby. 

"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work." 
This is the spirit of antichrist, of which John says, 
"even now already is it in the world." This anti- 
christ, apostate spirit is a mystery. It contains a 
hidden mysterious power that has blinded and de- 
ceived millions of souls. Even in Paul's time it be- 
gan its hidden mysterious working. The Roman 
Catholic sect arose and met this description of the 
"man of sin" as given by Paul. The Waldenses in 



394 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OB, 

tm Thirteenth century looked upon the church at 
Rome as the "whore of Babylon," and the "man of 
sin." Those blinded by the mysterious, delusive spir- 
it 01 iniquity considered such language against the 
"holy church" as blaspheming against God. Protes- 
tantism to-day with its great bishops and reverends 
and D. D. 's and creeds and systems, forms and cere- 
monies, almost as perfectly meets the description of the 
"man of sin" as does the Roman hierarchy. The 
same hidden mysterious delusive spirit has so intox- 
icated its subjects that they consider such speech as 
blasphemy. 

This ' ' man of sin ' ' is described as coming with signs 
and lying wonders. The lying wonders of this dark 
reign of the "son of perdition" are almost innumera- 
ble. It is said that a milkwhite dove descended from 
heaven with a phial of oil at the baptism of Cloris. 

A Sicilian hermit had a revelation from heaven in 
which was revealed that the prayers of the monks 
of Clugny would be effectual for the deliverance of 
the departed spirits from the expiatory flames of a 
middle state.— Mosh eim's Church History. 

A woman named Julian pretended she had a revela- 
tion from God in which it was disclosed to her to be 
the will of God that a peculiar festival should be held 
annually in honor of the real presence of Christ in 
the holy sacrament. She said that as often as she 
addressed herself to God or to the saints in prayer 
she saw a full moon with a small defect, and the spir- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 395 

it informed her that this defect was the want of this 
annual festival. This festival was established by 
Clement V in 1311 A. D. 

The fables of the removal of the chapel of Loretto, 
the wandering Jew, the visions of Stockius and Sims, 
and St. Anthony 's obliging an ass to adore the sacra- 
ment as related by Mosheim, are astonishing lying 
wonders and ridiculous inventions. The Protestant 
daughters of mystic Babylon are not free from lying 
wonders to this present day. The book of Mormon 
contains fabulous stories; the spiritualists' work is 
freighted with many satanic wonders, and frequently 
we hear of visions and revelations that when tried by 
the immutable Word of God are proven to be lying 
wonders. Our God is able to perform wonders, and of 
a truth, wonderful are his doings at this present time, 
but all that he does is in decency and in order, and 
contains nothing of the fabulous. 

Paul says, "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, 
that in the latter times some shall depart from the 
faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines 
of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their 
conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to 
marry, and commanding to abstain from meats." 
1 Tim. 4 : 1-3. You will only have to read the history 
of the Roman Catholic sect, of its fabulous inven- 
tions, of its awful tyranny, its superstitions, its rites 
and ceremonies, to find the fulfilment of this proph- 
ecy. It is extremely astonishing that men of intelli- 



396 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OH, 

gence would be the supporters of such a dark insti- 
tution. It only shows the seductive power of demon 
spirits. The doctrines of devils that have been origi- 
nated both in Romanism and Protestantism are almost 
without number, some of which we will speak of in 
our next chapter. The hypocritical lies that have been 
invented and the persecutions and contentions and 
quarrelings and fightings against one another can only 
be carried on by men whose conscience is seared by 
a hot iron. The Catholics abstain from eating meat 
on certain days and at certain times. A certain law 
sect, called the Seventh Day Adventist, teaches ab- 
stinence from pork. The papists forbid the marriage 
of the clergy. Neither is this unscriptural prohi- 
bition confined to the papacy alone, but some of her 
harlot daughters have patterned after her, and even 
gone beyond her in this respect. 

In the time of this apostasy it is said by the apos- 
tle that ''they will not endure sound doctrine; but 
after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves 
teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn 
away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned 
unto fables. ' ' 2 Tim. 4:3,4. Where shall we look for 
a fulfilment of this prophecy? Who does not know 
that we have now come to that time ? The sound doc- 
trine which if obeyed will make men a light in the 
world is not endorsed in the circle of the papacy, 
neither in the Protestant denominations. To-day the 
generality of mankind, even in professed Christian- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 397 

ity, do not care to hear the practical truths of the 
gospel as we have recorded in part first of this work. 

Theories and speculative opinions have taken the 
place of sound doctrine in the Protestant pulpit of 
this present day. The congregations in general have 
become so proud and vain in their imaginations, 
and so spoiled through philosophy, that they heap to 
themselves teachers having the wildest speculative 
opinions. Their itching ears have an insatiable de- 
sire for fine essays,. amusing stories, and historic tales. 
The proud, arrogant pulpit orator of this present 
day makes it a study how best to calm the fears, 
gild the sins, and strew with flowers the iniquitous 
path of his passionate congregation. 

Protestantism presents a most deplorable picture 
to those who have escaped her ruinous walls. Many a 
bishop and lord is bewailing his sad spiritless, pow- 
erless state, and crying, "Whither are we drifting?" 
Where will you have to go to-day but to Protestantism 
to find a fulfilment of Paul's prophecy in 2 Tim. 
3:1-5? ' ' This know also, that in the last days per- 
ilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of 
their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphem- 
ers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, with- 
out natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, 
incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 
traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more 
than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but 
denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 



398 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

Paul here speaks of a religious people. They have 
"a form of godliness." While the "last days" and 
' ' last time ' ' often include the whole of this gospel 
day, yet this prophecy particularly relates to the 
nearing of the end of time. Jesus says, ' ' As the days 
of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of 
man be. For as in the days that were before the 
flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and 
giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered 
into the ark." Mat. 24: 37, 38. Let us considerately 
review this prophecy. 

' ' Lovers of their own selves. ' ' Such a disposition of 
heart will manifest itself. Such people have more 
concern for their own welfare than for their neigh- 
bor's. They will look out for their own best in- 
terest. In the ministry it would be manifested in 
seeking places of ease, luxury, honor, and wealth. 

"Covetous." A desire for worldly gain, loving 
money. By their conversation and general manner 
they manifest a strong desire for wealth, resorting 
to festivals and fairs to gain money. 

"Boasters." Placing a high estimate on their own 
personal worth and accomplishments. As a man re- 
cently remarked of a stained window in a meeting- 
house: "See that window ! Is not that fine?-- That cost 
one hundred dollars. That is my window, I put that 
in. These others only cost seventy-five dollars. See, 
here are my initials." 
v ' ' Proud, ' ' Studying to make a fine appearance. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. .*^9 

striving to excel in pulpit oratory, advertising the 
work they have done— so many have been convened 
through my labors, etc. All these works are indica- 
tions of a proud heart. 

' ' Blasphemers. ' ' To speak lightly of sacred things, 
to ridicule any portion of God's Word. Many pro- 
fessors of Christianity of to-day when asked if tiaey 
believe in the ordinance of feet-washing will maKe 
some such answer as, "If your feet are dirty, you 
ought to wash them.'' The doctrines of holiness and 
divine healing are often impiously spoken of. Jesus 
Christ is sometimes charged with being a freemason, 
and recently a man said that the Savior went to 
school and studied for the ministry. 

"Disobedient to parents." Is there not many a 
young lady and young man in apostate Protestantism, 
trampling under their feet the commands and wishes 
of their parents? The "old man," or the "old 
woman" (as they often speak of their parents), 
they say, "is not going to rule me." 

"Unthankful." Murmuring when reverses come: 
complaining if their financial undertakings are un- 
successful ; dissatisfied and discontented. These are 
evidences of an unthankful and ungrateful heart. 

"Unholy." Those who dispute the doctrine of 
holiness, of purity or sinless perfection. They con- 
fess that they commit sin, and their life bears evidence 
that their confession is true. Or should they pro- 
fess holiness and yet not live a true holy life they 
are classed with the great dark apostasy. 



400 



THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 



1 ' Without natural affection. ' ' Many times the love 
of self, the love of pleasure, the love of the world, 
and sin in general destroys the natural affection. 
Mothers in their heart regret their children were 
born, because it prevents their entering society as they 
would like. They bewail the state of pregnancy for 
the same reason, and resort to murderous means for 
the privilege of enjoying more of the pleasures of 
sin and the world. Children also often betray a 
great lack of natural affection by their treatment of 
parents and one another. 

"Truce-breakers." Having but little regard for a 
promise or obligation ; violating obligations and prom- 
ises to God and to man. 

"False accusers." Slandering those who do live 
and obey the whole Word of God. 

4 ' Incontinent. ' ' Those who are living in the lust of 
the flesh; controlled by a depraved appetite. 

"Fierce." Getting angry and becoming quarrel- 
some; all that is the opposite of gentleness and kind- 
ness. 

4 4 Despisers of those that are good. ' ' Because a man 
lives a good, pure, consistent Christian life it puts 
a rebuke upon the hypocrite, and for this reason he 
despises the good man. 

Traitors. ' ' Actually denying and renouncing por- 
tions of the Holy Bible, which they profess to believe. 
They are traitors to God and to Christianity. 

"Heady." They are unteachable. No matter what 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 401 

the Bible says, they know they are all right if they 
do indulge in things that are wrong. 

" High-minded. " So lifted up in themselves that 
the humble doctrines of the Savior are beneath their 
observance. These humble truths of the Bible are 
considered as nonessentials by the heady and high- 
minded. 

"Lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." 
Take more real comfort and delight in the party or 
festival than they do in worship. A sermon of thirty 
minutes is about as long as they can endure. Read- 
ing the Bible is an unpleasant task, therefore the 
good old book lies unused ; but they can spend hours in 
the place of revelry. 

Where do we have to look for such doings and 
characters as we have described? They abound in 
great numbers in the various denominations of to-day. 
Adam Clarke in his comentary in speaking of this 
prophecy, says: "This description the papists apply 
to the Protestants. The Protestants in their turn ap- 
ply it to the papists. There have been both teachers 
and people in every age of the church and world to 
whom these words may be most legitimately applied. 
Both Catholics and Protestants have been lovers of 
their own selves," etc., "having a form of godliness, 
but denying the power thereof." How often the 
sectish lords lament the deadness of their congrega- 
tions, and also grow weary of their own spiritless, 
formal prayers and sermons. 

26 



402 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Bishop Weaver of the United Brethren denomina- 
tion uses the following language, as quoted by a holi- 
ness periodical: 

1 'POWER VERSUS FORM. 

"The pulpit ought to be a center of power. But 
is it? God said to Jonah, 'Preach the preaching I 
bid thee.' Jesus said, 'Preach the gospel.' Paul said, 
'Preach the Word.' Again he said, 'We preach 
Christ. ' Philip ' preached Jesus. ' All this means the 
selfsame thing. Christ is the soul of the gospel as well 
as the substance of all doctrine. Much of the preach- 
ing, reading or talking— whatever you please to call 
it— is Christless and powerless. Of course, this is a 
refined age, and the people are away up, but the 
devil can appear as refined as a saint. Nothing suits 
him better than to get the preacher away from the gos- 
pel on to some fine topic and then get some one to tell 
him (the preacher) that he made a fine effort. The 
pulpit should proclaim the great, fundamental doc- 
trines of the Bible. But does it? The people are 
often treated to a well-written essay or dissertation 
on some abstract question that does not contain an 
ounce of pure gospel. There is neither lightning nor 
thunder in it. One reason why Paul was not ashamed 
of the gospel of Christ was because it was the power 
of God unto salvation. But it was no more the 
power of God unto salvation then than it is now. 
It is the same eternal truth, yesterday, to-day, and 
forever, 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 403 

"In Hosea we read, 'Like people, like priest.' In 
Isaiah we read,' As with the people, so with the priest. ' 
There is a great deal of harmony between the pulpit 
and the pew. Everything goes along in an orderly 
manner. AH services must be short or the people can 
not stand them— short prayers, short sermons, short 
everything. Oftentimes the service is gone through 
with, and nothing in it but an out-and-out perform- 
ance ; no life, no spirit, no power. Protestants often 
speak disparagingly of the ritualistic services gone 
through with by the Roman Catholic church, but if 
you come right down to it you will find about as 
much spirit and power in the one as the other. The 
result is that scores and hundreds of men, and women, 
and children are being gathered into the Protestant 
church who have not an ounce of Christian experience. 
If reformation was necessary in the times of Luther 
and Wesley in Europe, and Otterbein and Asbury in 
America, it is scarcely less necessary now. But some 
one may say this is putting it too strong. What are 
the facts ? Is it not a fact that the church is drifting 
away from the more spiritual to the social and intel- 
lectual? If the religion of Jesus Christ is what the 
Bible represents it to be, then the church in general 
is far below the standard. Where is the spiritual 
power that was breathed into the apostolic church? 
Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost was not what 
the people of to-day would call brilliant, but the 
people were pricked, not in the head, but in the 
heart. 



404 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

' ' What did it ? Two things. First, he preached the 
gospel straight. Second, the Holy Spirit quickened 
the Word spoken and made it powerful. What would 
the people do if there should be such an uproar in some 
of our congregations to-day ? It would scare some of 
them half to death, and many would run for dear life. 
But we have the same gospel Peter had, and the same 
Holy Spirit to accompany the Word. What is the 
matter? The people do not want it that way, neither 
does the devil. Thousands of church people instead of 
praying for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, are asking 
such questions as these : Is it wrong for a Christian to 
dance? to go to the theater? to visit places of amuse- 
ment? to play progressive euchre? etc. Why don't 
they ask such questions as these : Is it wrong to pray ? 
to go to church ? to take the sacrament ? etc. The fact 
is, a man or woman filled with the Spirit of Christ 
knows without asking any questions whether a thing is 
right or wrong. 

"But some may say that the writer is getting old 
and feeble, and has fallen far behind in the race, all 
of which is readily granted ; but the fact remains that 
we have the same gospel, which is as changeless as the 
throne of God. If in the days of the Son of man and 
his inspired apostles it was necessary that a man 
should be 'born again,' 'born of the Spirit,' 'made a 
new creature,' and be 'cleansed from all sin,' it is 
necessary now. If there ever was a time when men 
were born into the kingdom of grace by the power of 



THE LIGHT OP CHRIST} vNXTY. ■ 405 

the Holy Ghost, it remains the same to-day. What 
under the heavens is the nse for preachers- and people 
to go whining around, and winking at this and that 
when they know it is out of harmony with the plain 
teaching of God 's Word ? It is all well enough to be 
nice and orderly in the house of God, but there is no 
substitute for the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus 
Christ is the advocate between God and man, and the 
Holy Spirit is the executive officer in the holy trinity. 
If the church with its splendid machinery were endued 
with power as it might and ought to be, there is no 
telling what might be done in the next ten years. But 
what good is all this machinery, with no power to run 
it? What good is an engine without steam? I saw 
Engine 999. It was beautiful to look at. Everything 
was as near perfect as it could well be. But it was 
standing stock-still. Why? There was no steam; no 
power to move a wheel. That represents a good many 
congregations. The machinery is there, but no power 
to run it. In Ezekiel's vision he saw a marvelous ve- 
hicle, which moved with great rapidity. But it did 
not move itself. The spirit of the living creature was 
in the wheels ; but for that it would not have moved at 
all. So it is with the church. If the Spirit of the living 
God is not in it, it will not and can not move forward. 
Oh, this spiritless, powerless performance called wor- 
ship. How it detracts from the usefulness of the 
church ! ' ' 
Such a description as given by Paul in the abovr 



406 • THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

prophecy, and by this bishop, is true of sect Babylon 
of to-day. Such graceless, spiritless, Christless insti- 
tutions are dark enough to obscure the beautiful light 
of the gospel. 

The Christian Advocate, the organ of Methodism, 
a few years ago said : ' ' We are approaching a crisis in 
church life. Gradually, but surely, disregard for the 
Bible, for the Sabbath, for the church, and for God, 
is taking possession of Christians. Teachers whose 
reputation for scholarship gives them wide influence, 
give it as their opinion that the Bible is not inspired 
at all, except as other great books are inspired. This 
poison has penetrated all our churches. The virus 
of skepticism has entered the pulpits in our own de- 
nomination." 

Who can take issue with this editor? We very 
heartily agree with him. If any one is disposed to 
doubt that the virus of skepticism has entered the 
Methodist pulpits, he will only have to read the ac- 
count of the meeting of four hundred of the leading 
ministers of New York and vicinity, including Bishop 
Edward G. Andrews. Below we give an account of 
the meeting as published in the Atlanta Journal. 
METHODIST MINISTERS QUESTION THE BIBLE. 

At a meeting of Methodist ministers last Monday 
morning in New York City, the validity of many of 
the stories of the Bible was questioned. Rev. S. P. 
Cadman urged at that meeting that the Bible could 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 407 

not be accepted as the sole rule of faith any longer. 
He pointed out alleged discrepancies in it, and said 
people could find truth only at its fountain head, 
Christ. The other ministers applauded him. 

"That the inherency and infallibility of the Bible 
are no longer possible of belief among reasonable 
men. ' ' 

This proposition, the acceptance of which will tear 
away the fundamental pillar of Methodist theology, 
was urged in all force, sincerity, and enthusiasm by 
the Rev. Cadman, pastor of the Metropolitan Temple, 
before the regular weekly meeting of the Methodist 
ministers of New York. 

Four hundred of the leading ministers of New 
York and its vicinity, including Bishop Edward G. 
Andrews, were present when Mr. Cadman 's paper was 
read. He was applauded when he arose to read it, 
and applauded again when he got through. 

Mr. Cadman 's paper was one of a series on Bible 
criticism. A paper taking practically the same 
ground was read before the ministers on the Monday 
evening before last, another paper on the subject will 
be read next Monday. . 

This bold portentous utterance, involving the most 
radical departure from accepted tenets of the Method- 
ist church since its very foundation, was made before 
the most representative body of Methodist clergy, in 
America. It included the vast majority of the preach- 
ers of Greater New York. It is the first announce- 



408 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

ment of an impending controversy, which may shake 
the Methodist church to its very foundation stones. 

The acceptance of Dr. Cadman's proposition, heard 
with respect and applause by the New York ministers, 
is comparable to the adoption of a new constitution 
for the United States. It places the Bible on the 
basis of historical works on other than divine subjects ; 
it rejects the authenticity of all parts of Holy Scrip- 
ture which are repugnant to human reason. 

Some of the details of the Bible that these minis- 
ters find fault with are: 

That the earth was created in six days. 

That Methuselah died at the age of 969 years. 

That a whale swallowed Jonah, in whose belly he 
lay three days. 

That the Red Sea was divided in order to permit the 
passage of the children of Israel out of Egypt. 

That a snake tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. 

That Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and 
that it obeyed him. 

The tower of Babel narrative. 

The turning of Lot's wife into a pillar of salt. 

The story of Noah, the flood, and the ark. 

That God spoke to Moses out of a burning bush. 

That Aaron turned his rod into a serpent. 

That Moses tapped a rock, and that water gushed 
forth. 

That Moses drew forth his hand and that it was 
"leprous, white as snow." 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 



409 



That Elijah was translated to heaven in a chariot of 
fire. 

That Elisha threw the mantle of Elijah across the 
Jordan, causing it to dry up and allow him passage. 

That the earth opened and swallowed Achan and 
his companions. 

That Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego walked in a 
fiery furnace unharmed. 

That Daniel stayed unhurt in the lions' den. 

Wm. S. Breakey, of New York, in a letter to the 
editor of the Revivalist spoke concerning the above 
meeting and Methodism as follows : "I enclose a 
clipping from the New York Herald of recent date. 
It needs no comment, and explains the lack of spirit- 
ual power in the M. E. church of to-day. The atti- 
tude of the listening ministers and bishop, and their 
approval (of a majorty at least) of the sentiments ex- 
pressed by the speaker and indicated by the applause 
shows the extent to which this so-called liberal ele- 
ment has permeated the M. E. church. This man is 
the leader of the so-called forward movement of the 
M. E. church in New York City, a movement con- 
sisting of short popular sermons, pleasant hours, Sun- 
day evening concerts, lectures, united choir, and the 
innumerable fandangoes to entertain the people and 
keep the church crowded. 

This is the Methodism of to-day in a leading me- 
tropolis of the country. It makes my soul— and, 
I believe, the soul of every one jealous for the glory 



410 ^THE GOSPEL DAY ; Oft, 

of God and the honor of the Holy Spirit and the 
eternal welfare of human souls being led into the 
ditch of eternal night by these blind, reason-exalting 
leaders— cry out, 'How long, Lord, how long,' must 
the followers of the life of Jesus Christ endure these 
things and by their silence be charged (by implication) 
with endorsing the present condition of things and 
methods of church work?" 

We are often told by those who know no better, that 
this world is becoming more Christianized. The Bible 
says, "But evil men and seducers shall wax worse 
and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. ' ' 2 Tim. 3 : 
13. People are more advanced in invention and edu- 
cation than in former years, we frankly admit. There 
are not the inhuman wars and barbarous massacres 
and bloody persecutions that once were, and by hasty 
external view of political governments and educa- 
tional interest one may conclude that the world is 
growing better. But where matters are growing 
worse and things becoming more deceivable is to be 
found in "mystery Babylon the great" and her harlot 
daughters; namely, Catholicism and the Protestant 
sects. They are becoming more worldly and covet- 
ous, more proud and popularity-loving. They are 
denying much of the Bible, turning their meeting- 
houses into concert halls and opera-houses. In a 
village where we resided until recently the Methodist 
meeting-house was called by the community in gener- 
al the Methodist theater. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 411 

The paper by Mr. Cadman as quoted above is a 
specimen of how they deny the Bible. They almost 
unanimously deny the unity of the Bible, divine heal- 
ing, holiness and some of the ordinances. But in the 
decade to come you will see much more aston- 
ishing things. The sectarian world is now just setting 
sail upon such a sea of revelry, banqueting, money 
getting, lewdness, and idolatry, as we have not seen 
before. Her awful sins will reach unto heaven, yea, 
for some years past have been crying out against her, 
but each year growing worse. Where is the aged man 
or woman but who remembers the day when Meth- 
odists had a plain, unassuming, consecrated ministry ? 
The laity went plainly and modestly dressed. They 
had real Holy Ghost revivals, but those days are 
gone. To-day she is intoxicated with the spirit of 
worldliness. Every effort is being put forth, every 
nerve strained, the power and energy of intellect used 
to dazzle the world by oratory, and pompous show. 
God, as we behold the awful sins of sectarianism 
we feel in our soul like Jeremiah when he wrote his 
Lamentation. 

"Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are 
troubled, . . . because the children and the sucklings 
swoon in the streets of the city." "How is the gold 
become dim ! how is the fine gold changed ! the stones 
of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every 
street." "The kings of the earth, and all the in- 
habitants of the world, would not have believed that 



412 THE GOSPEL DAY; Ott, 

the adversary and the enemy should have entered into 
the gates of Jerusalem. For the sins of her prophets, 
and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the 
blood of the just in the midst of her, they have wan- 
dered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted 
themselves with blood, so that men could not touch 
their garments." "God will visit thine iniquity, he 
will discover thy sins. ' ' 

The sins of Protestantism are sufficient cause to 
wring tears and prayers and fastings from every 
Christian heart. Who will not consecrate his time, 
talent, and means for the deliverance of God's be- 
loved from their captivity? 

THE PROPHECIES OP PETER. 

"But there were false prophets also among the 
people, even as there shall be false teachers among 
you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, 
even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring 
upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall 
follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the 
way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through 
covetousness shall they with feigned words make mer- 
chandise of you : whose judgment now of a long time 
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not." 
2 Pet. 2:1-3. 

Here the inspired apostle foretells the coming of 
false teachers, who shall bring in damnable heresies. 
Heresy is translated from the Greek word hairesis. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 413 

The word "sect" is translated from the same Greek 
word. The word "damnable" is from the Greek 
apoleia, and means destruction. So the rendering of 
Rotherham, "parties of destruction," and of the 
German, "destructive sects," corresponds with the 
original. Protestant teachers will readily tell you 
that these "false teachers" and "destructive sects" 
refer to the heresies that sprang up in the first few 
centuries of this Christian era. We admit that sects 
and parties arose' in those primitive days. We see 
something of this spirit in 1 Cor. 3 : 1-5. 

But are sects damnable in one age of the world and 
commendable in another ? We conclude that if party- 
ism, sectarianism, schisms, divisions, and heresies were 
destructive and brought destruction upon their ad- 
herents in the first centuries, it will do likewise in the 
last centuries. Paul says, "I beseech you, brethren, 
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all 
speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions 
[schisms, margin] among you; but that ye be perfect- 
ly joined together in the same mind and in the same 
judgment." 1 Cor. 1: 10. 

Many shall follow in the pernicious ways of these 
heresies. Is not this true at this present time? By 
them the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. There 
is scarcely a sectarian in the universe but will speak 
evil of some portion of the truth. These false teach- 
ers shall with feigned words make merchandise of 
their followers, because of their covetousness. This 



414 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

is really more true of present day sectarian preach- 
ers than it was of the false teachers in the first 
centuries. Does not the ministry of the present day 
resort to the telling of amusing stories, and touching 
incidents, and fabulous tales to amuse and allure the 
people, and are they not making merchandise of them ? 
Are they not receiving large salaries ? And no matter 
how poor you may be you must pay your preacher or 
else you have no hearty welcome to membership. 
The preacher can sit in his easy chair with folded 
arms while you labor and strive for his support. He 
can spend his evenings in luxury and pleasure while 
you are tossing upon your bed thinking and plan- 
ning how to clothe and feed your little ones and get 
money to pay your church dues; for you know full 
well if you do not pay you will be snubbed and re- 
jected and finally cut off and made believe, if possible, 
that you are on your way to hell. 

The remainder of this chapter, beginning with the 
twelfth verse is a vivid description of the hireling 
ministry of these days. For the benefit of the reader 
Ave will quote and number each verse and give brief 
comment. 12. "But these as natural brute beasts 
made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the 
things they understand not, and shall utterly perish in 
their own corruption." 

They are not governed by the Bible, but as "brute 
beasts" follow their covetous ways, speaking evil of 
the holy commandments of God, which they do not 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 415 

understand. They are the "blind leaders of the 
blind." 

13. "And shall receive the reward of unrighteous- 
ness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day- 
time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting them- 
selves with their own deceivings while they feast with 
you." 

The excursions of sightseeing and pleasure, the 
picnics and parties they count great pleasure. Char- 
acters that engage in such revelry and worldliness 
are spots and blemishes to Christianity. We are 
commanded to keep ourselves unspotted from the 
world. "Sporting themselves with their own deceiv- 
ings while they feast with you." They will teach 
their young members that it is no harm to go to the 
party, to attend the shows and fairs, the suppers and 
entertainments, to play cards for amusement, and 
many like things ; and with their own deceivings they 
will feast with them in such sports. 

14. ' ' Having eyes full of adultery, and that can not 
cease from sin ; beguiling unstable souls : a heart they 
have exercised with covetous practises ; cursed chil- 
dren. " 

Their hearts are inclined to evil ways and filled 
with fleshly desires; loving the things of the world 
and often confessing, "We can not live in this world 
without committing sin. ' ' By their evil example and 
false teachings they are beguiling many unstable 
souls, Their covetous heart is scarcely ever satisfied. 



416 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

The prophet Isaiah speaks of these prophets saying, 
"They are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they 
can not bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slum- 
ber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have 
enough." Isa. 56:10, 11. This is a lazy, ease-loving 
greedy ministry. If they are getting $500.00 a year 
they will want $600.00. If they are receiving $1,000.00 
they will want $1,200.00, and go wherever they can 
get the most. ' ' Cursed children. ' ' 

15. "Which have forsaken the right way, and are 
gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son 
of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness." 

These false teachers have known a better way. The 
Lord showed Balaam the right way, but he was se- 
duced by the reward offered by Balak. So with these 
teachers; they once knew a more righteous way, but 
have turned aside for the wages of unrighteousness. 

16. "But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb 
ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness 
of the prophet." As Balaam was rebuked by the 
dumb ass, so these false teachers in their madness 
for worldly honor, gain and wisdom are rebuked by 
the humble ignorant Christians, whom they consider 
as dumb ignorant creatures. 

17. "These are wells without water, clouds thai 
are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of 
darkness is reserved forever." 

Salvation is often spoken of as the "water of life." 
These false teachers are wells without water, Their 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 417 

preaching does not feed and water their flock. Their 
empty forms and stale essays contain no spiritual 
food. For this reason there is a famine throughout 
Babylon. "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord 
God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a fam- 
ine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing 
the words of the Lord. ' ' Amos 8 : 11. From the pul- 
pit we hear lectures, stories, and history, and not 
the pure gospel; this is the cause of this famine. 
"Clouds they are carried with a tempest." When 
there is some appearance of rain or water from these 
teachers, and you have hopes of hearing some of the 
Word of God, behold some false wind of doctrine for 
personal advantage carries away every sign of rain. 

18. "For when they speak great swelling words 
of vanity, they allure through the lust of the flesh, 
through much wantonness, those that were clean es- 
caped from them who live in error." 

They preach in sublime style, and speak great words 
of vanity, almost incomprehensible to common people, 
and by touching incidents and sympathetic stories 
they allure, and those who were really converted are 
often led into error and formalism by these vain 
teachers. 

19. "While they promise them liberty, thej them- 
selves are the servants of corruption." 

From the pulpit they speak in elegant, flowery 
language of Jesus and heaven, and give great prom- 
ises of blessings to their hearers, while they them- 



418 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

selves are walking in sin and under bondage to the 
flesh. 

It is not difficult for all who are not entombed in 
the mystic fogs of Babylon delusion to locate the 
fulfilment of this prophecy. Were Peter living to- 
day and should look over the Catholic and Protestant 
ministry he could not pen a better description of 
them than he has here done. 

THE PROPHECY OP JUDE. 

"Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the 
flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities." 
ver. 8. 

"But these speak evil of those things which they 
know not: but what they know naturally, as brute 
beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe 
unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain,, 
and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for re- 
ward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These 
are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast 
with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds 
they are without water, carried about of winds ; trees 
whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, 
plucked up by the roots; raging waves of the sea, 
foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to 
whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever." 
ver. 10-13. 

•'These are murmurers, complainers ? walking after 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 419 

their own lust; and their month speaketh great swell- 
ing words, having men's persons in admiration be- 
cause of advantage. ' ' ver. 16. 

We believe that comment here is unnecessary since 
commenting on Peter's prophecy. In verses seven- 
teen and eighteen Jude tells us these are the mock- 
ers of Christianity that should come in the last time, 
who should walk after their own ungodly lust. Jude 
foresees the great dark beastly manism that was to 
darken the earth in the clear day, the same as was 
seen by the Savior, Paul, and Peter. 

When quoting the twelfth verse the Spirit of the 
Lord referred us to the wonderful prophecy of Eze- 
kiel: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of 
Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the 
Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shep- 
herds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not 
the shepherds feed the flock? Ye eat the fat, and ye 
clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed; 
but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not 
strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was 
sick, neither have ye bound up that which Was 
broken, neither have ye brought again that which 
was driven away, neither have ye sought that which 
was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye 
ruled them." Ezek. 34: 2-4. 

These shepherds feed and clothe themselves. They 
are more concerned for their own personal gain than 
for the souls of the people. If they do not receive m 



420 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

ample salary they will leave the souls to perish. 
They are unlike Paul, who labored with his own hands 
for his support while he fed starving souls upon the 
words of life. He was a light in the world, and the 
covetous, greedy shepherds are creators of darkness. 
These prophecies are all true of the present day 
sectarian ministry.* They are the hireling shepherds 
that flee when they see the wolf coming. When pov- 
erty comes, they flee to a place where they are better 
supported. The prophecies concerning the apostasy 
are more particularly against the ministry than the 
laity, because the ministers are the leaders, leading 
their followers on in darkness. 

THE REVELATION OF JOHN. 

The prophecies of the book of Revelation have long 
been a mystery to the people. Occasionally some hon- 
est soul, laboring under the confusing mists of sect- 
ish night, has attempted to reveal the secret things 
of this book. His interpretations were so obscure and 
erroneous that he has only added confusion to con- 
fusion and mystery to mystery. However in the 
past few years as we are nearing the "time of the 
end," God by his Spirit has made clear these proph- 
ecies unto his humble, devoted people. Trusting in 
God to give the proper interpretation by his Spirit 
we will ask the reader to consider with us some of the 
prophecies of this book, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 421 

Chapter 13. 
Ver. 1. "And I stood upon the sand of the sea, 
and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven 
heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, 
and upon his heads the name of blasphemy." 

"Beast" means a fleshly, human, or mannish power. 
"Sea" is often used to represent trouble, upheaval, 
and commotions. History abounds with accounts of 
the upheavals in the ecclesiastical heavens between 
bishops in the third century. Out of these contentions 
and strivings and confusions arose in the year 325 
A. D., a beastly or mannish form of ecclesiastical gov- 
ernment; namely, the Roman Catholic church. 

The "seven heads" have by some writers been in- 
terpreted to be the seven mountains on which the 
city of Rome is situated. For proof of this inter- 
pretation they quote Rev. 17 : 9. How that inanimate, 
literal mountains can represent heads, since the head 
contains the power of intellect and authority, lies 
beyond our comprehension. 

That the ten horns are the ten kingdoms spoken 
of by Daniel (chap. 7, ver. 24) is, we consider, un- 
questionable. Now it may be a little obscure why the 
Revelator will make use of ten stately kingdoms to 
represent the ten horns of an ecclesiastical govern- 
ment. It is because this ecclesiastical government is 
human the same as a state government; and because 
the beastly Romish church was supported, and became 
what they were pleased to call both church and state. 



422 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

The seven heads are seven supreme forms of govern- 
ment. These seven heads are seven mountains (not 
literal) and the seven mountains are seven kings. 
Rev. 17 : 9, 10. History tells us there were seven dis- 
tinct forms of government in the Roman empire. The 
first, a royal or kingly government, continued about 
428 years. The second was republic in form under 
the administration of dictators. This form of govern- 
ment continued eighty and eight years. The third 
form of government was under the absolute control 
of ten magistrates called decemvirs, and are also called 
praetors. The duration of this form of government 
exceeded three hundred years. In the year 336 B. C, 
the third form of government came to an end by the 
Latins being conquered by the Romans, and the consu- 
late government succeeded, which continued until 
about the year 50 B. C. The fifth form of govern- 
ment was under the control of three men, and there- 
fore called a triumvirate. The triumvirate form of 
government came to an end before John's vision of 
these heads. These are the five "fallen ones." Rev. 
17 : 10. The power that then was, which was the sixth 
head of the beast, was the imperial power of the 
Caesars, which continued more than four hundred 
years. The seventh power was the patriciate, which 
continued about fifty years. 

These are the seven heads and ten horns— the 
seven forms of government, and the ten kingdoms 
out of which grew the eleventh horn which Daniel 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 423 

saw, or the beast which John saw. Thus we have the 
beast with its seven heads and ten horns. 

Ver. 2. " And the beast which I saw was like unto a 
leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and 
his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon 
gave him his power, and his seat, and great au- 
thority." 

Sins and worldliness are termed spots by tne Bible. 
The leopard is a spotted beast, so no other animal 
could better represent the Romish sect with its dark 
spots of sin and crime. The bear makes use of the 
foot to deal the deadly blow upon an enemy. The 
papacy with its tyrannical feet has trodden down 
all that would dare rise against it. Great thunder- 
ings and loud roarings proceed out of the mouth of 
the lion in his strength and glory. So this beast fitly 
represents the Catholic church in her boasted strength, 
power, and authority. 

The dragon that gave this ecclesiastical beast its 
authority and seat was the Roman state. In con- 
nection with this we will consider the first three 
verses of the twelfth chapter of Revelation. "And 
there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman 
clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, 
and upon her head a crown of twelve stars." ver. 1. 
The woman is the church. By believing or standing 
upon the Word a soul is brought into the church by 
the Spirit. Thus the church stands upon the moon 
(the Word of God), clothed by the sun (the Spirit). 



424 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

This is no disagreement with a former use we have 
made of the sun and moon as symbols. An object 
may be used to symbolize different things in differ- 
ent prophecies. 

"And there appeared another wonder in heaven; 
and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads 
and ten horns." ver. 3. This dragon is the same as 
the dragon that gave power to the beast of Rev. 13 : 2 ; 
namely, the Roman state. The Roman empire, pagan 
as it was, endeavored to devour the church as is said 
of the dragon in Rev. 12 : 4. 

We will now return to Rev. 13 : 3 : "And I saw one 
of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his 
deadly wound was healed : and all the world wondered 
after the beast." 

As we have before observed, the seven original 
heads were the seven principalities, or forms of gov- 
ernment, which gave rise to the Roman empire. A 
head or an ecclesiastical form of government in Ro- 
manism received a wound. The world wondered af* 
ter the beast. This beast religion — manism — the 
Catholic sect, was now looked upon as the church. It 
was considered the only way to heaven. There was no 
salvation outside her walls. The true church was hid- 
den. The sun, moon and stars were eclipsed. Christ 
had given his authority over to the pope, so it was 
believed, and the Romish sect stepped into the place 
of the true church. Christ and his church— the lights 
of the world— were no longer seen. The pope and 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 425 

his church stood up in their sins and abominations, 
and the world looked upon them, as the church. This 
is certainly sufficient cause for darkness at the noon- 
day. 

Ver. 4. "And they worshiped the dragon which 
gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the 
beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? Who is 
able to make war with him?" 

The people worshiped not only the church of Rome, 
but both church and state ; for they were now consol- 
idated. So the people worshiped the dragon and the 
beast, and boasted of their greatness. 

Ver. 5. "And there was given unto him a mouth 
speaking great things and blasphemies; and power 
was given unto him to continue forty and two 
months. ' ' 

From this text there opens a wide field before us, 
which we will enter for a while, and then return 
again to the further consideration of this chapter. 

The pope's claims of power to forgive sins, to be 
infallible, to be the vicegerent of the Son of God, to 
have power to deliver from purgatory, and a number 
of other shameful pretensions, are certainly shocking 
blasphemies. Power was given him forty and two 
months. 

In Rev. 12 i 6, the woman (the church) is described 
as fleeing into the wilderness prepared for her of 
God, there to be fed a thousand two hundred and 
three score days. Here we learn that the woman fled 



426 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

from before the dragon and was protected of God (or 
fed) from the dragon's power for a thousand two 
hundred and three score days. This is virtually the 
same power; namely, the Romish state and church, 
that continued forty and two months as spoken of 
above. 

In Rev. 11 : 3 we have another allusion made to the 
church of God at this period. "And I will give pow- 
er unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a 
thousand two hundred and three score days, clothed 
in sackcloth." A day in Scripture is used in differ- 
ent texts to represent different lengths of time. In 
some texts quoted in the introduction of this work 
a day is used to represent the whole of the Christian 
dispensation. Again it is said that' "one day is with 
the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years 
as one day." In Rev. 11: 11, a day is used to repre- 
sent one hundred years ; and in Ezek. 4:6, we learn 
that a day is often used to represent one year. A 
day in Rev. 11 : 3 and 12 : 6 signifies one year. Forty 
and two months ( as mentioned in Rev. 13 : 5 ) are 
equal to 1260 days, allowing 30 days to the month. 
Here also a day signifies a year. Thus the beast sup- 
ported by the dragon had power 1260 years. While 
this beast was in authority the woman was in obscur- 
ity, which was 1260 years. While the beast was in 
power and the woman in silence the two witnesses 
could only testify in sackcloth, which was 1260 years. 
These two witnesses in the church of God are the 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 427 

Word of God, and the Spirit of God. A sackcloth 
dress is one donned in a time of grief or lamentation. 
The Word and Spirit of God, because of the sad 
state of the church, were draped in mourning or 
sackcloth. 

We have before learned that the date of the rise 
of the apostasy was 270 A. D. By these prophecies 
made plain by the Holy Spirit we clearly understand 
the first beast as seen in the apostasy was to continue 
1260 years, which added to 270 years will bring us 
down to 1530 A. D. At this date we have the Luther- 
an reformation, when the power of Catholicism as a 
universal state church was broken. The world as a 
whole no longer looked upon that dark, ungodly insti- 
tution as the only way to heaven. They saw there 
was salvation outside the pales of Romanism. 

Now we will return to Rev. 13th chapter. Ver. 6. 
"And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, 
to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them 
that dwell in heaven." 

We have already spoken of how the papacy uttered 
blasphemy against God and his name, his church and 
his true people. 

Yer. 7. "And it was given unto him to make war 
with the saints, and to overcome them : and power was 
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and 
nations. ' ' 

Catholicism numbers her slain by the thousands. If 
your human heart can endure the reading of a book 



428 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

on martyrdom and the tortures of the inquisition, you 
would there learn that it was the Romish sect that 
made war with and overcame the saints. To her was 
granted power over kings and nations. While the 
state gave her her power, she in turn rose to power 
and rule over the state. 

Ver. 8. "And all that dwell upon the earth shall 
worship him, whose names were not written in the 
book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation 
of the world. ' ' 

Ver. 9. "If any man have an ear to hear, let him 
hear." 

Ver. 10. "He that leadeth into captivity shall go 
into captivity: he that killeth with the sword must 
be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and 
the faith of the saints. ' ' 

All worshiped the papacy except those who were 
really spiritual, and those were slain. The tenth verse 
is a prophecy against her; as she killed with the 
sword, so she shall be killed with the sword (the Word 
of God). 

Ver. 11. "And I beheld another beast coming up 
out of the earth: and he had two horns like a lamb, 
and he spake as a dragon." 

Here appears upon the scene another beast. A hu- 
man ecclesiasticism, a manism. Protestant authors 
who brand the first .beast as the Roman hierarchy 
are confounded at the appearance of this second beast. 
By these two beasts we understand the apostasy to be 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 429 

under two forms. We have no hesitancy in branding 
this second beast as Protestantism. In the church of 
God all is controlled exclusively by the Holy Spirit. 
There is no manism in the church of God, therefore 
it is not animal or beastly. All sectism is controlled 
largely by man, therefore is a beast power. At first 
Protestantism had a mild, gentle, lamb-like appear- 
ance compared with Catholicism. 

The two horns are two state powers that gave sup- 
port to the beast. Germany and England supported 
Protestantism, therefore are the two horns. The 
dragon spoken of in this eleventh verse is, like in 
the second verse and also in chapter 12 : 3, a state 
power. 

This second beast "exercised all the power of the 
first beast before him. ' ' See ver. 12. Was this not true 
in England, where the king was head of both church 
and state ? Consequently we see that the second beast 
or man religion spoken of was authorized by a dragon 
or state power. In verse thirteen it is said he doeth 
great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from 
heaven on the earth. Throughout the reign of Prot- 
estantism there has been frequent spiritual revivals 
and reformations. God really sent the Holy Spirit 
fire upon the honest efforts of men, and wonders were 
accomplished betimes in the name of Jesus. 

In the fourteenth verse it is said that he deceived 
them that dwell on the earth by the means of those 
miracles which he did, Each reformation in the past 



430 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

three centuries was begun by holy men, upon whom 
God sent the holy. fire; but others rising up subse- 
quently, who were devoid of spirituality, built upon 
their foundation, and now deceive the people in mak- 
ing them believe that they and their sect institutions 
are of God because God manifested himself to their 
predecessors. In this verse we also learn that an 
image was made unto the first beast. Upon the work 
of each reformer a sect institution was organized, 
which was fashioned after the Roman Catholic sect, 
the mother of all sects. 

According to the words of the fifteenth verse these 
images will in some future day, which the Lord 
knows, find a consummation in one great image, unto 
which all bow and pay homage or else suffer martyr- 
dom. To receive the mark of the beast as spoken of 
in verse sixteen is to receive the ceremonies and cus- 
toms and doctrines peculiar to each respective sect. 
Any one acquainted with the customs and doctrines of 
the different denominations can to-day determine to 
what denomination a stranger belongs by his dress 
or manner of speech. The number six hundred six- 
ty-six refers to the number of leading religious denom- 
inations. 

We will now, briefly as possible, consider the first 
eight verses of the seventeenth chapter of Revelation. 
In verse one John speaks of seeing a great whore sit- 
ting upon many waters. In verse two he speaks of the 
kings of the earth becoming drunk on the wine of 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 431 

her fornication. This has all been true in the papacy. 
There is in this hierarchy an enchanting, delusive spir- 
it that has intoxicated her subjects. This is the real 
secret of her power. 

In Rev. 17 : 5 the apostasy is termed ' ' Mystery, 
Babylon the Great, The Mother of Harlots and Abom- 
inations of the Earth. ' ' Here we see again the apos- 
tasy in two forms or generations. The mother is the 
first, and is identical with the first beast of Rev. 13 : 1. 
The harlot daughters are the second, and are identical 
with the second beast of Rev. 13 : 11. We consider 
it needful to enquire what is meant by the term 

BABYLON. 

There is the natural world and the spiritual world. 
Babylon has existed under both. There are many 
references made to it in both the Old and New Tes- 
taments. In the Old Testament we find the origin 
and final doom of literal Babylon. In the Apocalypse 
we find the origin and final doom of spiritual Babylon, 
the antitype. In the days of Noah the world became 
very wicked and God destroyed all save Noah and 
his family. For a time after the flood the people 
were righteous and the whole earth Avas, one language 
and one speech. Gen. 11:1. God's people in those 
days all spoke the same language and understood each 
other, because they understood truth as it was. 

"And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the 
east, that they fouud a plain in the land of Shhw; 



432 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, 
Go to, let us make brick, and burn them thoroughly. 
And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for 
mortar. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city 
and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven ; and 
let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad 
upon the face of the whole earth." Gen. 11:2-4. 

God's people started on a pilgrimage in the order 
of God, but they tarried, they ceased to "go for- 
ward." Had God's people continued on Babylon 
would never have been built. This has its spiritual 
import. When God's spiritual people cease to ad- 
vance, when they get out of God's order, they will 
soon seek some other way to heaven. 

This ancient city of Babylon grew until it became 
a mighty, resistless, universal empire. For a time in 
its history it held the people of God in captivity. The 
day came, however, when this mighty city passed 
away forever. The only dwellers among its lonely 
ruins are wild beasts and hissing serpents. The Baby- 
lon mentioned in Revelation is the spiritual antitype. 
The great tower of ancient Babel finds its antitype 
in mystery Babylon, the mother, and the diversified 
city at its feet finishes its antitype in the multiplicity 
of sects and creeds, where they speak a different spit 
itual language, as they cluster around their mother's 
knee. In this great apostate Babylon the true children 
of God have long been taken captive, but the day 
comes when God's own make their escape and return 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 433 

to spiritual Jerusalem, their native home. The Rev- 
elator beholds spiritual Babylon in a fallen condition, 
inhabited only by foul, devilish spirits, and unclean 
and hateful birds. Rev. 18 : 2. 

There are many prophecies in Daniel and other 
chapters of Revelation relating to the dark apostasy 
of the noonday, which we reluctantly forbear to con- 
sider in this work, but are compelled to do so lest 
our volume swell to too great proportions. 

In the conclusion of this chapter we desire to make 
a few quotations from other authors concerning mys- 
tery Babylon and her harlot daughters. 

"This woman (popery) is called the mother of har- 
lots and abominations. Who are the daughters ? The 
Lutheran, the Presbyterian, ^ind the Episcopalian are 
all branches of the Roman Catholic. Are not these 
demonstrated harlots and abominations in the above 
passage? I so decide. I could not, with the stake 
before me decide otherwise. Presbyterians and Epis- 
copalians compose a part of Babylon. They hold the 
distinctive principles of papacy in common with 
papists. ' ' — Tennessee Baptist. - 

. "I think Christ has a true church on earth, but its 
members are scattered among the various denomina- 
tions, and are more or less under the influence of mys- 
tery Babylon and her daughters."— Bible Doctrine, 
p. 249. 

1 ' Is antichrist confined to the church of Rome 1 The 
answer is readily returned in the affirmative by Prot- 



434 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

estants in general, and happy had it been for the 
world were that the case. But although we are fully 
warranted to consider that church as the mother of 
harlots, the truth is that by whatsoever arguments we 
succeed in fixing that odious charge upon her, we shall 
by parity of reasoning be obliged to allow other na- 
tional churches to be her unchaste daughters, and for 
this plain reason, among others, because in their very 
constitution and tendency they are hostile to the na- 
ture of the kingdom of Christ."— Encyclopedia of 
Religious Knowledge. 

"The writer of the book of Revelation tells us he 
heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, 
my people.' If such persons are to be found in the 
mother of harlots, with much less hesitancy it may be 
inferred that they are connected with her unchaste 
daughters, these national churches, which are founded 
upon what are called Protestant principles.' '—Ency- 
clopedia ot Religion. 

"If she be the mother, who are the daughters? It 
must be the corrupt national established churches that 
came out of her."— Lorenzo Dow. 



CHAPTER III. 
FALSE TEACHINGS OF THE APOSTASY. 



This is subject enough for volumes. There is 
scarcely a text in the Bible but what has been per- 
verted by some one confused by the fogs of Babylon, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 435 

Perhaps you can not find two individuals in the whole 
of sectism that see "eye to eye" upon the whole truth. 
To mention all the erroneous teachings of apostates 
would be almost impossible. However we believe it 
to be compatible with this work and to the glory of 
God to mention and refute a few of the false doc- 
trines that have been most effectual in obscuring the 
light of the sun and moon. 

We will quote from an unknown author the follow- 
ing unscriptural dogmas of the Romish sect, and the 
elate of their origin : 

Prayers for the dead A. D. 200. 

Worship of saints, angels and martyrs 350. 

Worship of Virgin Mary developed 431. 

Worship in unknown tongue 600. 

Papal supremacy 606. 

Worship of images and relics imposed 788. 

Baptism of bells 965. 

Obligatory celibacy of priests 1000. 

Infallibility of church 1076. 

Sale of indulgences 1190. 

Transubstantiation officially decreed 1215. 

Auricular confession officially imposed 1215. 

Cup kept from laity officially sanctioned .... 1415. 

Purgatory officially recognized 1430. 

'Romish tradition put on level with Scripture .1540. 

Immaculate conception proclaimed . .1864.. 

Papal infallibility proclaimed 1870. 



436 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

These dogmas are without Scriptural authority. 
They are only the traditions of men, and is it any 
wonder that the pure light of the gospel- of the Son 
of God was dimmed when such blasphemous doctrines 
were substituted? Besides these, in the papacy origi- 
nated many other erroneous superstitious doctrines 
that have been handed down and perpetuated through 
Protestantism. One of the most general is that of 

INFANT BAPTISM. 

This ceremony is wholly without Scriptural foun- 
dation. We have previously shown the true object 
and mode of baptism, and who are proper candidates. 
We asked a mother recently, whose babe had just 
been "christened," as she termed it, by a Methodist 
preacher, ' ' What benefit has your child derived from 
this ceremony?" Her answer was like this: "None 
at all, but I had it done because others do it." 
And so it is with many other traditions and customs 
of men. Many a parent has their babe "christened" 
merely because it is a custom, or the preacher has said 
so, never searching the Word of God to know the 
reason why. Had she searched the Word of the 
Lord to know something of this doctrine she never 
would have found the object of her search. As we 
look upon the "christening" of an infant we are 
reminded more of heathendom than of the kingdom of 
grace. 

The word "christen" we have not been able to 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 437 

find in the Bible. Nowhere since the ordinance of 
baptism was instituted have we a commandment to 
baptize infants, and nowhere in all the evangelistic 
work of the apostles is there an instance of infant 
baptism recorded. If it is as important as some 
teach, even the child's eternal destiny depending upon 
it, do you not think there would have been some 
plain commandment in the teaching of Jesus and 
his apostles to that end? One command would be 
sufficient, but we have none. Infant baptism or- 
iginated in the confusions of the apostasy. John 
refused to baptize some because they bore no fruit of 
repentance. Repentance, therefore, must precede bap- 
tism. This was plainly taught by Peter. "Then 
Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every 
one of you in the name of Jesus." Acts 2:38. A 
little child can not repent, and needs no repentance. 

Does baptizing an infant prepare it for heaven? 
If so, give one text as proof. If an unbaptized in- 
fant dies, will it be damned? If so, give one text as 
proof. Does baptism ma^e the child any more relig- 
iously inclined, and will it not go into sin the same 
as unbaptized children? Give one text showing what 
is effected by infant baptism. Thousands are hav- 
ing their children baptized, and they do not know the 
reason why any more than that it is a custom. Thus we 
behold the meaninglessness, looseness, and careless- 
ness of professed Christians. Just doing things be- 
cause others do them. They have no conviction from 



438 THE GOSPEL DAY; Oft, 

God nor the Bible. God wants us to be able to give 
a Scriptural reason for all we do in our form of 
worship. 

Some have taught that circumcision of the Old Tes- 
tament typifies infant baptism. This is a gross er- 
ror. The circumcision of the Mosaic law is typical 
of a broken, penitent heart. "For he is not a Jew, 
that is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, 
which is outward in the flesh ; but he is a Jew, which 
is one inwardly ; and circumcision is that of the heart, 
in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is 
not of men, but of God." Rom. 2 : 28, 29. A man was 
made a Jew under the old law by circumcision. He 
is made a spiritual Jew by the circumcision of the 
heart under the New Testament, It was only the 
male children that were circumcised according to the 
law of Moses. If circumcision be typical of infant 
baptism, it is only the boy infant that would be 
Scripturally baptized. You jnay ask, "What harm 
can result from such ceremony, even if it accom- 
plishes no good?" It leads the child into error, and 
blinds his understanding to the true mode and ob- 
ject of baptism. To be a light in the world is to 
be and do just as Jesus did. To be in error con- 
cerning any doctrine of the Bible is to be to that 
extent in darkness. 

The baptism of infants is wholly without Scrip- 
tural foundation, and is one of the erroneous teach- 
ings of the apostasy, a doctrine that aided in dark- 
ening the pure light of the gospel. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 439 

SPRINKLING AND POURING. 

These forms of baptism originated among the here- 
tics of the second century. "Ego men oaptizo humas 
en hudati." Mat. 3 : 11. . To give this a true literal 
translation, we have: "I indeed immerse you in 
water." Immersion is a mode of baptism, and the 
only Scriptural one. We have no account of sprink- 
ling and pouring until the third century. The No- 
vatians practised it in the third century. When 
we understand the true object of baptism, and what 
it represents, we find that sprinkling and pouring 
would be altogether inappropriate. 

TRINE IMMERSION. 

This is another doctrine of the apostasy. We have 
before stated that baptism represents a burial. Rom. 
6 : 4. We can at once see the inappropriateness of 
'three immersions. So far as we know all trine im- 
mersionists immerse forward. This does not fitly 
represent a burial. The baptismal formula of Mat. 
28 : 19 is the trine immersionists strongest proof-text. 
"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of 
the Ho]y Ghost." These three, we are told, are one. 
1 John 5:7. There are three personages in the God- 
head, but these three are one. It does not require 
three acts of faith for pardon, yet we are told to be- 
lieve in God, and to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 
etc. To be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus 



440 'THE GOSPEL DAY; OB, 

Christ is to be baptized in the name of the full triune 
God, because in him dwelleth all the fulness of the 
Godhead. Col. 2:9. 

The disciples well understood the Savior in his 
commission in Mat. 28 : 19. They baptized under 
his direction before the commission. One act in the 
name of the Lord Jesus is all we can find them prac- 
tising. "And he commanded them to be baptized in 
the name of the Lord." Acts 10:48. "When they 
heard this, they were baptized in the name of the 
Lord Jesus. ' ' Acts 19 : 5. " They were baptized in the 
name of the Lord Jesus. ' ' Acts 8 : 16. 

Tertullian in the third century in writing on the 
subject of baptism says, "We solemnly profess that 
we disown the devil and his pomp and his angels. 
Hereupon we are thrice immersed, making a some- 
what ampler pledge than the Lord has appointed in 
the gospel."— The Crown. 

Trine immersionists make use of such historical rec-* 
ords to establish the doctrine of trine immersion. In- 
stead of being in its favor, it is against them. They 
were at this time under the delusions of a heresy. 
Apostate teachers had elected exorcists in what they 
called the church, whose business it was to expel the 
devil from the candidate for baptism. This is an 
awful heresy. Those of whom Tertullian writes dis- 
own the devil under the hand of these exorcists and 
are then thrice baptized. Tertullian understands, 
however, that this heresy is performing more than 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 441 

the Lord Jesus had appointed. Sprinkling, pouring, 
and trine immersion originated under the apostasy. 
Single immersion is the only Scriptural mode of bap- 
tism. 

CHURCH ORGANIZATION. 

To-day the teachers in Babylon and their subjects 
are in darkness concerning church organization. The 
election of officers and their framing of laws, and 
the location of the ministers by the annual conference 
are all human authority, and belong to the apostasy. 
The Holy Spirit is the sole organizer in the church of 
the Bible. There are a few texts in which the Holy 
Spirit is spoken of as working in conjunction with 
man, or using man as an agency. This is very lim- 
ited. Conferences claim to work in conjunction with 
the Holy Spirit, but we have no such instances in the 
Scripture. One minister told me he trusted the Holy 
Spirit to direct conference to give him the proper 
appointment. This is popish — man not able to be di- 
rected by the Holy Spirit himself, but has a medi- 
ator. 

Our space will prevent our telling of the adding 
of tradition to the Scripture, and of the rejection of 
much of the Word of God. Catholicism and Prot- 
estantism largely deny the doctrine of holiness. Some 
of the Protestant teachers teach holiness to a degree, 
but very few, or none of them, teach true Bible holi- 
ness. By far the large majority of sectarians reject 
the doctrine of Christian perfection, heart purity, or 



442 THE GOSPEL DAY; OU, 

freedom from sin. Is it any wonder they are a great 
object of darkness when they are living in and can 
not be free from the very element of darkness ? There 
is no light in them. The vast majority of the beast 
worshipers reject the doctrine of divine healing. As 
plainly as it is recorded in the Bible, they in the 
darkness comprehend it not. The whole of the sec- 
tarian world denies the unity of God's people as 
taught by the Savior, and as experienced by the church 
in the morning light. Nearly the whole of mystery 
Babylon and her harlot daughters reject the sacred 
ordinance of feet-washing. Some of them deny all 
the ordinances, and the others have misused and mis- 
applied them so as to make them without meaning. 
But few sects that practise the lifting up of holy 
hands, and the greeting with a holy kiss. 

The humble ordinances of feet-washing and greet- 
ing with a holy kiss are very repugnant to the gen- 
erality of proud-hearted sectarians. They look upon 
these ordinances as being degrading to morality. 
They call it an "act which public decency abhors." 
Here they are mistaken : it is not public decency that 
abhors it;, it is a proud heart. A holy kiss is not 
indecent, whether it be public or private. 

Proud, sensual hearts have very depraved ideas of 
what is true decency. We will here give an authen- 
tic newspaper account of a scene which all the pure in 
heart consider a public indecency, moral degrading, 
Christian disgracing, and soul damning. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 443 

"Buffalo, Feb. 4.— A lively row is in progress "at 
Burns, a little town about twenty miles from Buffalo, 
growing out of a new money-making scheme, intro- 
duced at a church social held there in the Lutheran 
church parlors. The church is heavily in debt, and 
the ladies advertised a social in the church to raise 
money to pay the preacher and buy some coal. The 
men of the congregation had all been seen and in- 
formed that the women had a big surprise for them. 

"Across one end of the room was a curtain. For 
an hour the guests chatted after the old-fashioned 
church social style. Then the curtain was suddenly 
withdrawn. There in a row stood six of the prettiest 
women in the congregation, blushing and smiling, each 
bearing upon her bosom a placard, on which were the 
words : ' You may kiss me for 25cts. ' 

"It was fifteen minutes before the device began to 
work; but when it did, the silver quarters fairly 
showered into the young ladies' circle. Old and young 
rushed eagerly to the front to exchange coins for 
kisses. The show lasted only a short time, when the 
curtain was drawn. Then the storm burst. The 
women were jealous of their husbands, and a dozen 
or more family fights were started at once." 

Similar scenes, and still more degrading ones, are 
occurring daily in the aristocratic religious denomi- 
nations. The sect parties and socials, the fashionable 
balls, the obscene theatrical performances, are en- 
joyed, and admired, and applauded, by thousands so 



444 THE 'GOSPEL DAY ; Ofi, 

low in morality that they feel no shame. Their 
hearts are so naturalized and inclined to lewd ways 
that sin can scarcely bring a feeling of shame. It is 
only holy and pure things that are repugnant to their 
dispositions and inclinations. 

A large majority of the sectarian world reject the 
scriptures that teach plainness of dress, that con- 
demn revelry and fleshly lusts. There is not a sect 
upon the earth but what rejects some portion of God's 
Word, and taking them all together, probably there 
is not a text in the Bible but what is rejected or per- 
verted by them. Sectism to-day presents a deplorable 
picture. 

I would ask the reader to look at the plain, simple 
truths of the Bible as taught by the Savior and the 
disciples. Picture to your mind, by what knowledge 
you have of Scripture, the life of Christ and the 
apostles and the church in their day. Notice their 
humility, their equality, their care for souls, their pri- 
vations, their persecutions, their holiness, their faith 
for healing the sick, their oneness, their unselfishness, 
their love for each other, their separation from the 
world, and their belief of the whole truth. Along- 
side of this place a picture of the religious denomi- 
nations of to-day with their proud, highly educated 
and high-salaried ministry, rejecting much of the 
Bible, denying holiness and the humble ordinances, 
no healing faith, assuming proud titles, building fine 
temples, living in ease and luxury, joined to the world, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 445 

free from persecution— their greed for money, their 
revelry, the pomp and show— and, oh, what do you 
see of the church of God? Truly, this great dark 
beastly sect religion has darkened the pure church of 
God. 

We can scarcely forbear mentioning and exposing 
many other false teachings of the denominational 
world, but will console ourself with the hope that the 
reader will thoroughly acquaint himself with the 
Word of God and try every spirit and doctrine by 
the same. There remains yet one almost universal 
false and dangerous doctrine, which we deem but 
justice to the reader to refute. I refer to the doctrine 
of the 

MILLENNIUM. 

This is not a Bible word, nor a Bible doctrine. It is 
,a word and teaching of the apostasy. The word is 
used to denote a thousand years. The most general 
teaching of the millennialist is that there will be a 
personal reign of Christ upon this earth of a thou- 
sand years after his second coming. There are very 
many theories respecting the millennium. This of 
itself is enough to make the doctrine very question- 
able. If there is such a doctrine in the Bible it should 
be so sufficiently clear as to not admit of so much 
disagreement. The millennial doctrine as taught by 
sectarian teachers we emphatically declare to be whol- 
ly without Scriptural foundation. It is a purpose of 



446 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

Satan to cause man to place what should be a pres- 
ent realization to some time in the past or future. 

In the days previous to the coming of Christ the 
Jews were in great expectation concerning the king- 
dom of God. They looked forward with great joy 
and anticipation to the coming of Christ, their King, 
who should set up a kingdom which should never 
be destroyed. They expected him to reign in a pomp 
and splendor that excelled the Caesars. The kingdom 
of God came, but their proud hearts and high minds 
overlooked it altogether. The same is true to-day. 
The cold formal professors in Babylon see in the 
Bible a glowing description of the kingdom of God, 
and they, failing to come to its present and blessed 
realizations, have come to the conclusion that it must 
be in an age to come. 

With perfect confidence we say there is not one 
text in the Bible speaking of the glory of Christ's 
kingdom but what is fulfilled here in salvation or 
in the eternal glory world above. There is no in- 
tervening state of peace and righteousness. We 
will briefly notice some of the principal texts used 
by millennial teachers, and we will find almost every 
one, if not every one, refers to the wonders of sal- 
vation here in this life. Mr. Talmage, in a sermon 
in October 1898, said in referring to Isa. 35 : 6 : "In 
the millennial the lame man shall leap as an hart." 
Where can we behold a greater exposition of Bible 
ignorance? There is not a sentence in the whole of 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 447 

this chapter but points to the blessings of grace in 
this gospel day. Did not the lame man leap as an 
hart in the days of Christ and the apostles? Why 
will man be so unfair or so blind as to place the 
fulfilment of such prophecies in a millennial, when 
every word has been fulfilled, and is being fulfilled 
to-day, in those who are possessing the fulness of 
Christ's kingdom? 

A text quoted by millennial teachers everywhere is 
found in Isa. 11 : 6-8 : " The wolf also shall dwell with 
the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with 
the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the 
fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 
And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young 
ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat 
straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play 
on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall 
put his hand on the cockatrice' den." In the next 
verse you will learn where this peacefulness shall 
reign. 

"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy 
mountain." It is in God's holy mountain where they 
shall not hurt nor destroy. What is God's holy moun- 
tain? It is Zion, the church. "And it shall come to 
pass in the last days [the gospel days] that the moun- 
tain of the Lord's house shall be established in the 
top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the 
hills; and all nations [both Jew and Gentile] shall 
flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, 



448 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the 
Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will 
teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths : 
for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word 
of the Lord from Jerusalem. " Isa. 2:2, 3. 

This is surely too plain to need comment. Zion is 
the Lord's mountain. The wolf dwelling with the 
Lamb is figurative language, and never will be liter- 
ally fulfilled, but has been spiritually and figuratively 
fulfilled throughout the whole of this Christian dis- 
pensation. It shows the wonders of God's grace. 
Jesus called Herod a "fox." Luke 13:32. He cer- 
tainly did not mean that he was truly a fox, but that 
he had a thieving, dishonest, foxlike disposition. Paul 
says, "Beware of dogs." Phil. 3:2. He is not giving 
us a warning against this literal animal, but against 
men that have a fierce and doglike nature. Jesus 
again says, "Beware of false prophets, which come to 
you in sheep 's clothing, but inwardly they are raven- 
ing wolves." Mat. 7:15. Here we learn that men 
are inwardly ravening wolves; that is, they have a 
devouring, wolflike disposition. Thus we could con- 
tinue. 

In Isa. 35 : 9 it says that no lion shall be in the 
highway of holiness. In a Christian's holy life there 
is no lionlike nature. ■ God 's salvation saves men from 
such dispositions. And the whole of Isa. 11 : 6-8 is a 
prophecy relating to this present time, when the sal- 
vation of Jesus saves men from all wolf, bear, lion, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 449 

and leopardlike natures, and fills all with a peace- 
able nature, that an innocent child shall lead them. 

Please read the first verse of this chapter. Do we 
not find its fulfilment in Christ? Also read the tenth 
verse. Does it not point to the Savior? It all re- 
lates to the time when Christ shall come and the 
Gentile can be saved as well as the Jew. The ninth 
verse is often misquoted. Many say that in the 
millennium "righteousness shall cover the earth as 
the waters cover the sea." Such is not Scripture. 
But in this ninth verse it is said, "The earth shall 
be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters 
cover the sea." This relates to the coming of Christ, 
when not only the Jews shall have the Word of Cod 
and a knowledge of him, but every nation is granted 
the Bible and salvation. 

One strong text for millennial teachers, as they sup- 
pose, is Acts 3:21: "Whom [Christ] the heavens 
must receive until the times of restitution of all things, 
which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy 
prophets since the world began. ' ' A text they use to 
teach there shall be a thousand years in which res- 
titution is to be made, makes no such intimation. In 
fact, it teaches to the contrary. Let us carefully ex- 
amine it. Christ was taken up to heaven. He will 
some day come again. Acts 1 : 11. The positive teach- 
ing of this text is that the heavens will retain the 
Lord Jesus until everything is restored to the Father. 
Christ came to restore all things. Mat. 17 : 11. Full 

29 



450 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

restitution for sin was made by the Savior. The 
Holy Spirit all through this dispensation is leading 
men to the blood and restoring them to the Father. 
The day will soon come when the Holy Spirit has 
gleaned out the last one and all has been restored to 
the Father that will be restored. This then is the 
full restitution of all things. Then the heavens will 
retain the Son of God no longer. He will come to 
claim his own. Instead of this text teaching that 
restitution is to be made after Christ's second com- 
ing, it teaches that the restitution is to be made be- 
fore he comes the second time. 

We will now ask the reader to read the only text 
that speaks of a thousand years. This is found in 
Rev. 20 : 1-10. If you will open your Bible and read, 
we can by the help of the Lord show you that this can 
not possibly mean a thousand years of Christ's reign 
upon the earth after his second coming. This lan- 
guage is figurative. Satan is an evil spirit and can 
not be bound with a literal chain. After the thousand 
years have expired, Satan is to be loosed, and shall de- 
ceive the nations. After Christ reigns here a thou- 
sand years in righteousness shall Satan be loosed and 
deceive the nations? AVho can look forward to such 
an end with joy? How do you know but you will be 
one that will be deceived? If you are building hopes 
upon a millennium you are already deceived, and 
this deception is among the deceptions which are to 
come after the thousand years. This thousand years 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 451 

is in the past. This may be a startling statement to 
one who has been educated to believe in a reign of 
Christ in person here upon the earth in some future 
age of a thousand years' duration. Reader, will you 
please notice that the devil and Satan/ that was to be 
bound a thousand years, is also called the dragon? 
Now the Scriptures do not always mean Beelzebub 
when speaking of Satan. Jesus upon one occasion, 
because Peter was remonstrating with him concerning 
his death, said, ' ' Get thee behind me, Satan. ' ' Christ 
did not mean to say that Peter was the devil, but he 
addressed him as Satan, because the devil was using 
him as an instrument to persuade the Savior to es- 
cape the death he came here to endure for all. So 
Satan and the devil spoken of in Rev. 20 : 2 does not 
refer to the personal devil, the prince of evil spirits, 
but to some great power antagonistical to gospel light 
and truth as revealed in the church of God. 

Now we feel ourself under obligation to the reader 
to give him the correct interpretation of this bind- 
ing of Satan a thousand years, and of his beting 
loosed at the end of that period. The term "drag- 
on" is used to represent a state power, which gives 
power to some religion antagonistical to the religion of 
the Bible. However the original and real fundamen- 
tal dragon power was Rome, when she supported a 
heathen religion, and when the world on the whole 
was so under the seducing charms of idolatrous wor- 
ship that it knew not the one true God and his 
relationship to man. The Syriac New Testament, in 



452 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

speaking of this dragon in verse two, says, "Who se- 
duced the whole habitable world." The binding of 
Satan refers to some time when the delusive charms 
of heathenish worship were largely cleared away and 
there became a greater universal knowledge of the 
true God. At the end of that thousand years, or 
long period of time, which time we have reached, the 
true God and the pure religion will be lost or un- 
known to the generality of mankind, and heathenish 
rites and customs and ceremonies will be the univer- 
sal religion. Do we not read that at the end of the 
thousand years Satan shall again deceive the nations ? 
We understand by this that the world on the whol'j 
shall be reveling in the delusive seductions of a lewd, 
lustful, idolatrous religion, making the times like it 
was in the days of Noah. Let me again say we are 
now entering the e times, and this world is swiftly 
passing under awful and blinding delusions. So 
great are the delusions that if possible the very elect 
should be deceived. 

The religious teachers of to-day on the whole are 
in ignorance concerning the binding of Satan. We 
will give you a sample of the ignorance of these teach- 
ers. In the Gospel Messenger of March 25, 1899, the 
Querist Department in answer to a question asked 
concerning the binding of Satan, said: "Satan will 
then be bound, cast into the bottomless pit, and there 
will be a chance to convert the unrighteous and lead 
them to accept Christ as the Savior." 

A subscriber in search of knowledge asked thr 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 453 

Querist Department to give a scripture to prove the 
last clause. He received this answer : " It seems to us 
that it is one of those self-evident views that needs no 
proof. If the Bible teaches otherwise let us have the 
chapter and verse. The Querist Department does not 
pretend to know everything." 

There are many other chapters and verses that 
teach otherwise. "Now is the day of salvation." 
"How shall we escape if we neglect so great salva- 
tion ? ' ' The wicked shall be resurrected to damnation. 
John 5:29. 

CONCLUSION OF PART SECOND. 

We have now passed the noonday. The reader, 
no doubt, fully comprehends why it was dark. The 
morning was light because the whole Word of truth 
was taught and experienced by the church. All were 
under the immediate control of the infallible Holy 
Spirit. 

The noonday was dark because the leadings and 
teachings of fallible man were substituted for the 
Holy Spirit and Word. A thousand errors were 
brought in, the Word of God rejected. The faith 
once delivered to the saints was lost, sin and iniquity 
abounded and their love waxed cold. The preachers 
divined for money, and sought places of affluence, and 
thus the day was dark over them. Sectism to-day is 
a mass of worldliness. Infidelity abounds and every 
abominable work. If you desire a perfect description 
of sectism as it appears upon the scene to-day, read 
that given by the angel in Rev. 18 : 2. 



PART llh 

THE EVENING; 

or* 

CHRISTIANITY IN THE CLOSING DAYS 0^ 
THIS GOSPEL ERA. 



We have now come to consider the evening time 
of this gospel day. The morning was light because 
of the truth being experienced and taught. The noon- 
day was dark because traditions and theories and vain 
philosophies of man became substitutes for the Word 
of God. This evening time was seen by prophetic 
eye. ' ' But it shall be one day which shall be known to 
the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to 
pass, that at evening time it shall be light." We are 
nearing the close of this gospel day. The sun of 
time hangs low in the western horizon. The gospel 
light is now shining in peaceful splendor like the clear 
setting of the sun after a dark and cloudy noonday. 

' ' Misty fogs so long concealing 

All the hills of mingled night 
Vanish, all their sin revealing, 

For the ' evening shall be light ' 

• ' Lo, the ransomed are returning, 

.Robed in shining crystal white, 
Leaping, shouting, home to Zion, 

Happy in the ev'ning light."— Sel. 

454 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 455 

CHAPTER I. 
THE APOSTASY IN TWO DAYS. 



In our introduction we gave a number of texts 
which spoke of the whole of the gospel dispensation as 
one day; but any period of time distinguished by 
some extraordinary historic event may be and is also 
termed a day. The apostasy or dark noonday being 
under two forms is marked in Bible history as two 
days. The first form of the apostasy, namely, Cathol- 
icism, is called by the Scriptures a "dark day." 

A CLOUDY DAY. 

The second form of the apostasy was not such ut- 
ter darkness as the first, and is therefore called a 
cloudy day. "For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, 
I, even I, will. both search my sheep, and seek them 
out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day 
that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will 
I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all 
places where they have been scattered in the cloudy 
and dark day." Ezek. 34:11, 12. The cloudy day 
was a day of the scattering of Cod's people. This 
has been true of Protestantism. God's own people 
have been divided and scattered among the various 
organizations of man. The time of the seeking out 
refers to the evening, when God is going to gather 
his children together that "were scattered abroad," 



456 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

and they shall be ' ' one heart and one soul ' ' as in the 
morning. 

One more text refers to the cloudy day. "And it 
shall come to pass in that day that the light shall 
not be clear, nor dark : but it shall be one day which 
shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but 
it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall 
be light. ' ' Zech. 14 : 6, 7. This day of Protestantism 
was neither ' ' clear nor dark ' ' ; was neither ' ' day, nor 
night. ' ' It was a mixture of light and darkness, truth 
and error, and therefore is fitly termed a cloudy day. 

A REVIVAL. 

After those two days there shall be a great revival 
caused by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. ' ' Come, 
and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, 
and he will heal us ; he hath smitten, and he will bind 
us up. After two days will he revive us: in the 
third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his 
sight. Then shall we know, if we follow on to know 
the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; 
and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter 
and former rain unto the earth." Hos. 6:1-3. 

The two days of beastly power come to an end. The 
time comes when they shall no longer govern God's 
true people. It was true of literal Babylon, that had 
taken captive the children of God, that the time came 
when they returned from their captivity. The same 
is true of spiritual Babylon. The children of God 
have long been taken captive in her. In the evening 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 457 

time, after two days, they shall say, 'Come, let us 
return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will 
heal us; he will revive us in the third day, he will 
raise us up,' etc. Praise God! Then shall we know 
the Lord. "His going forth is prepared as the morn- 
ing." Just as God was known in the morning in his 
holiness and power, just so he will be known in the 
evening. Throughout the "two days" (apostasy) the 
Lord in his power to save to the uttermost, to heal, 
and to exclusively control his church was unknown. 
Therefore he says : ' ' Then shall the seers be ashamed, 
and the diviners confounded : yea, they shall all cover 
their lips ; for there is no answer of God." Micah 3 : 7. 

Such is the ignorance of the seers of Babylon. They 
are educated in the wisdom of the world, but know 
little of God. Their sermons are the theories of man, 
and not the pure Word of God. For this reason 
there is a great spiritual famine in Babylon. 

The evening time is called the third day, when God 
shall send copious showers of rain. The first day is a 
"dark day," and relates to the reign of the Catholic 
power. The second or dark and cloudy day relates to 
the reign of Protestantism. The third day is the 
' ' time of the end, ' ' when there shall be a consump- 
tion of the beast powers. Dan. 7 : 26. Daniel was told 
that the fourth beast he saw in his vision was a 
fourth kingdom. This was the Roman kingdom. 
Three had preceded— the Babylonian, Medo-Persian 
and Grecian. This beast had ten horns. Ver. 7. These 



i§ 3 THE GOSPEL DA* ; 6S, 

ten horns were ten kings, or kingdoms, which were 
created out of the Roman empire by the barbarians 
of the North. History records the overrunning of the 
Roman empire from A. D. 376 to A. D. 476 by the 
different "powerful and warlike nations of the 
North ; namely, the Huns, Goths, Vandals, ' ' etc. Thus 
in one century of time the kingdom of the Caesars gave 
rise to ten different minor kingdoms. 

In verse twenty-four of Daniel seven the prophet 
was told that another horn should arise after these 
ten. t>om the description of this horn we at once 
learn it to represent the Roman hierarchy, or to be 
the same as the first beast of Rev. 13. In verse twen- 
ty-six the prophet says, ' ' Judgment shall sit, and they 
shall take away his dominion, to consume and to de- 
stroy it unto the end." The apostasy is being con- 
sumed by the powerful and sharp judgments of God's 
Word being executed by the faithful and true who 
are proclaiming, "Fear God, and give glory to him, 
for the hour of his judgment is come. ' ' This is in the 
time of the end, this glorious evening hour. 

The apostle Paul gives a description of the apostasy 
in 2 Thes. 2. In verse eight he speaks of its eon- 
sumption, which is being effected in this evening of 
time. Babylon is being consumed. Hear her cries of 
pain. The prophet Isaiah foretells the consumption 
of the apostasy in these words : ' ' And the destruction 
of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be to- 
gether, and they that forsake the Lord shall be con- 



m 

sumed. " This is being accomplished in this present 
day. The gospel truth i§ being held up as a "lamp 
that burnetii," and Babylon is consumed. The Lord 
is washing "away the filth of the daughter of Zion, 
... by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of 
burning. ' ' Isa. 4 : 4, 

"Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver eve- 
ry man his soul. ' ' 

MORNING AND EVENING LlGHT COMPARED. 

How light shall be the evening? Will God "revive 
us and raise us up" in the third day to the apostolic 
plane? The answer is, "His going forth is prepared 
as the morning. " " Then shall thy light break forth 
as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth 
speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; 
the glory of the Lerd shall be thy rearward." Isa. 
58:8. 

By these two texts we are given to understand that 
in the evening the light shall shine as bright as in the 
morning. The church of God will be raised to the 
same plane from which it was dragged down by ec- 
clesiastical lords. God's people shall enjoy the same 
degree of holiness in the evening as they did in the 
morning. They shall enjoy the same blessed unity— 
"one heart and one soul," "and all speak the same 
thing." They shall possess apostolic faith. They 
shall have power with God to heal the sick, to open 
blinded eyes, to cause the lame to walk and the deaf 



460 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

to hear, to cast out devils, and to raise the dead the 
same as did the saints in the morning. Why shall 
they be given such power? Because they believe, ex- 
perience and practise the whole truth. They are free 
from all manism. God has absolute control in each 
and every heart. Every hindrance to faith is re- 
moved, every barrier between them and God is taken 
away, and the Lord works with them, "confirming 
the word with signs following." Glory to his name! 



CHAPTER II. 
THE TIME OF THE EVENING. 



The morning was of 270 years' duration. The first 
form of the apostasy lasted, as we have shown, 1260 
years, bringing us to the Lutheran reformation in 
1530. Now when we ascertain the duration of the 
second beast power we will know the time the sun, 
moon and stars reappear in the evening. One especial 
text that gives us information on this subject is found 
in Revelation. In speaking of the two witnesses the 
Revelator says: "And they that dwell upon the earth 
shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall 
send gifts one to another ; because these two prophets 
tormented them that dwelt on the earth. And after 
three days and a half the Spirit of life from God 
entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; 
and great fear fell upon them which saw them. ,, 
Rev. 11 : 10, 11. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 461 

In this we learn the duration of the power of Prot- 
estantism and the breaking forth of the evening light. 
We have before proven that a day in Scripture is 
used to represent different lengths of time, some- 
times the whole of the Christian era, sometimes a 
thousand years, sometimes a hundred years, and some- 
times a year. In this text a day represents a century. 
Three days are three centuries, and a half day is a 
half century. After three days and a half, which 
are three centuries and a half, or 350 years, of the 
reign of Protestantism, the Spirit of life from God 
entered into them. This is the dawning of the even- 
ing, when the whole and entire Word of God is believed 
and experienced and the Holy Spirit has the same 
power in governing the church of God as he did in 
the days of the apostles. The downfall of the first 
beast, or Romanism, and the arising of the second 
beast, or Protestantism, was in the year 1530. The 
duration of Protestant power is 350 years, which ad- 
ded to 1530 brings us to the year 1880 A. D., at which 

time the dark noonday closes and we emerging hail 
with joy the peaceful glowing evening light. 

Prior to the year 1880 it was, with rare exceptions, 
universally conceded that to gain heaven we needs 
must unite with some religious denomination. About 
this time God by his Holy Spirit gave to men every- 
where (whose hearts were prepared) an intuitive 
knowledge that we could be saved and live a Christian 
life outside the walls of sectism. Just to lean upon 



462 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

God alone and be guided solely by his Word and 
Spirit, they discovered to be their blessed privilege. 
We are not alone in thus interpreting Rev. 11 : 11. We 
will quote from other authors. "Cloudy day (Prot- 
estantism). Length of period 350 years." Rev. 11: 
9.-8. L. Speck in Bible Readings, p. 104. 

"The two witnesses [Word and Spirit] lie dead 
three days and a half [three and one-half centuries] . 
Rev. 11 : 7-9. The church dwells in a wilderness, which 
is neither dark nor light. Period 350 years. Time 
from 1530 to 1880."— W. O. S. in Bible Readings, 
p. 69. 

' ' Time of reign of second beast, from the year 1530 
to 1880, making 350 years." — H. C. Wickersham in 
Holiness Bible Subjects, p. 178. 

This same author on page 244 in quoting Rev. 11: 
11 encloses in brackets the words: "At the end of 
three hundred and fifty years of Protestant sectism 
the true children of God come out of Babylon and are 
sanctified. ' ' 

"The three days and a half they were to lie dead 
is interpreted by the Holy Spirit to mean three cen- 
turies and a half. This gives us the length of the 
Protestant age."— Biblical Trace of the Church, 
p. 143. 

In the few years prior to 1880 A. D., there was a 
great declension in the spirituality of Protestantism. 
Who can deny this fact ? Quite a number of the lead- 
ing denominations held revivals, where was witnessed 



THE LIGHT OP CHRISTIANITY. 



463 



the power of the Holy Spirit. People were genuinely 
converted. They loved and worshiped God in quite 
a degree of simplicity and equality. The ministry 
was of a humbler class and more devoted to its 
charges. In the decade preceding 1880 there was 
a great change. This change perhaps can be no bet- 
ter described than is done in the following words of 
Mr. Foster, bishop of the Methodist denomination: 

1 ' Worldly socials, fairs, festivals, concerts, and such 
like, have taken the place of the religious gatherings, 
revival meetings, class and prayer-meetings of earlier 
days. . . . Under such worldly performance spiritu- 
ality is frozen to death. . . . The early Methodist 
ministers went forth to sacrifice and suffer for Christ. 
They sought not places of ease and affluence, but of 
privation and suffering. They gloried not in their 
big salaries, fine parsonages, and refined congrega- 
tions, but in the souls that had been won for Jesus, 
Oh, how changed ! A hireling ministry will be a 
feeble, a timid truckling, a time-serving ministry, 
without faith, endurance, and holy power. Method- 
ism formerly dealt in the great central truth. Now 
the pulpits deal largely in generalities and in popular 
lectures. The glorious doctrine of entire sanctifica- 
tion is rarely heard and seldom witnessed in the 
pulpits. ' ' 

There is not a Methodist minister but knows the 
truthfulness of these statements, however much they 
may deny it. In the quoted texts of Scripture 
from Revelation 11, the ninth and tenth verses say: 



464 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

"And they of the people and kindreds and tongues 

and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and 

a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put 

in graves. And they that dwell upon the earth shall 

rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send 

gifts one to another." 

By the "dead bodies" is meant the two witnesses, 

the Word and Spirit. These throughout Protestant- 
ism were dead. While they professed to be led by the 
Spirit and to believe and practise the Word, they 
did neither. Thus they would not entirely and openly 
in words deny the power of the Holy Spirit and verity 
of God's Word, yet in works they did deny them. 
"They profess that they know God; but in works 
they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, 
and unto every good work reprobate. ' ' Titus 1 : 16. 
These two witnesses were dead, yet they would not 
allow their dead bodies to be buried: they professed 
to receive them. 

The tenth verse tells of the worldliness of sect- 
ism at the time the Spirit of life from God entered 
into the Word and Holy Spirit, after the 350 years 
or the ushering in of the evening light. They were 
making merry and sending gifts. Sectism is straining 
every nerve, and adopting most every scheme for 
money-getting. The fundamental object in the so- 
cials, fairs, concerts, etc., is to get money. They 
adopt these worldly, sensual amusements to rob men 
of their money. We have in possession a clipping 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 465 

from the New York Sun which is a fair sample of the 
present-day performances and merry making for mon- 
ey, and well explains the rejoicing, merry making and 
sending of gifts as mentioned in Rev. 11 : 10. It is 
as follows: 

"SAVED THE CHURCH. 

"Members Performed Many Services in Turning 

an Odd Penny. 

"FROM NEW YORK SUN. 

"Pittsburg, March 5.— The church edifice of the 
Coraopolis Methodist church was advertised to be sold 
by the sheriff this week, and the members of the con- 
gregation made a heroic attempt all last week to save 
it. Coraopolis is a few miles below here. One viva- 
cious young woman won a wager by riding a spir- 
ited horse without a saddle ; other good sisters and 
brethren cleaned shoes and peddled, while some 
pushed wheelbarrows in which were conveyed some 
very staid-looking business men. The whole church 
community was animated by the common desire to 
keep the sheriff from the church-door. Luxuries were 
denied, and many ludicrous situations were invented 
until enough money was raised to secure a postpone- 
ment of the sale. 

"Nobody seemed in the least disconcerted over these 
unusual exhibitions. If any one asked Samuel Mar- 
shall, the well-known station agent, what he was doing 
when he was shining the boots of the ex-Burgess, he 
would have replied: 'Raising money for our church. 
Don't you want a shine?' Among the most active 
bo 



466 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

in the work was Mr. Marshall, and his industry in 
turning in the most money won for him the prize of a 
gold watch. The following items from his statement 
show some of the methods adopted: 

"February 20.— Delivered message to F. D. Stick- 
ney, 10 cents. H. S. Misseldine wanted me to stand 
on my head, but found I could not do this, so added 
up fifty columns of figures, for which I received 50 
cents. 

"February 21.— Carried can of milk to restaurant 
of J. G. Walters, 10 cents. 

"February 22.— Delivered head of cabbage, which 
afterward on a 'banter' was thrown at Mr. Walters, 
10 cents. 

"February 23.— Young lady paid me 5 cents to call 
on her; polished shoes for George Arras, 5 cents. 

February 24.— Swept pool-room of J. E. McKee, 
10 cents ; delivered hardware to Mr. Boyers, $2.00. 

"February 26.— Wheeled M. W. Watson from store 
of J. C. Walters to shop, 25 cents. 

"February 27.— Shaved Henry DeGrange, the bar- 
ber, for which I charged him 10 cents. 

"Mrs. Hamilton, a well-known society woman, sold 
bread and laundered the gentlemen's ties. She also 
presented a report in rhyme at the 'pledge meeting' on 
last Tuesday night. One item of the report was: 
"First I peddled chestnuts and met with success, 
And to-day I raked in nickels is the truth, ycu better gues 
Say, I must tell a secret, those chestnuts were alive, 
But what of that ? when I realized one dollar thirty-five. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 467 

"Mrs Hamilton returned about forty dollars as the 
result of her labors. Miss Fannie Siebold, a viva- 
cious young woman with auburn hair and with eyes 
that sparkle, was visiting friends in the place. She 
never lost an opportunity to show her interest in the 
little church. Her host, curious to see if she could 
not be made to retract from her offers, told her he 
would give her fifty cents if she would ride one of 
his spirited horses without a saddle. 

"She was told that she might ride any fashion. 
Miss Siebold made all the male portion of the family 
promise to remain indoors, where they could not ob- 
serve her during the performance. They agreed to 
this, but people passing along the road were sur- 
prised at the sight of a handsome young lady gallop- 
ing over the fields on the flying charger in a manner 
that would do credit to any man. 

"As a result of all the industry, $208.54 was raised, 
the sheriff 's placard was taken down from the church- 
door, and a thirty days' extension secured on the 
$2,500 remaining to be paid." 

The following article, recently published in a Gad- 
fearing, religious paper, contains weighty and power- 
ful truths, and should awaken the reader to the pres- 
ent condition of things in this dark, seducing, and 
soul-deluding, sinful world. 

"There has been for many years a rapid decline 
among the Protestant churches of the spirit of re- 
vivals and of the manifestations of the power of the 
Holy Spirit. Not only is there great ignorance on 



468 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

the doctrines of the Bible, but almost universally a 
positive antagonism to anything like the supernatural 
in religious experience. 

"Just as Jesus was rejected and crucified by the 
professed church at the close of the Jewish age, so the 
Holy Spirit is being despised and crucified by the 
professed church at the close of the Gentile age. Just 
as Jesus was rejected from the nice homes of Bethle- 
hem, and had to go into a stable to find a place to 
be born, and where he could utter his infant cries, so 
the Holy Spirit to-day is utterly rejected from thou- 
sands of Protestant churches, and he has to go into 
rented halls, slum missions, canvas tents, and woods 
meetings to find a place to utter his voice through the 
lips of those who know and feel him. Just as there 
were a few who had supernatural discernment to 
recognize and worship the infant God, so there are 
now a few who discern the personality and operation 
of the Holy Spirit, and pour out to him their gold and 
frankincense and myrrh. Just as the people of Beth- 
lehem, who had turned the unborn Savior from their 
door were soon made to wail by the king's order of 
assassination, so the thousands of nominal churches 
which now reject the work of the Holy Spirit from 
their doors will soon wail under the awful tribulation 
that is rapidly coming on all the earth. Oh, if the 
Protestant churches could only see the day of their 
visitation, and that the history of the way the Jews 
treated Jesus is being exactly repeated over and over 
again in the way the modern churches treat the Holy 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 469 

Spirit, and that the same doom that overtook the Jew- 
ish church for rejecting Christ, will speedily overtake 
the modern churches for rejecting the Holy Spirit ! 

"Another feature of the present crisis is, God is 
working mainly through individuals, and not so much 
through machinery. Thousands of individuals in Eu- 
rope and America have' been called of the Spirit to 
launch out into soul-saving work along lines of per- 
sonal enterprise more than ever in past ages. 

' ' There never was a time in the world's history when 
Christian men and women felt so led of God not to 
wait for committees nor the red tape of ecclesiastical 
authority, but to hurry forth under a personal call 
from God and do what they could with their indi- 
vidual means and talents for the saving of souls, the 
sanctifying of believers, and preparing the chosen few 
to meet Jesus. There never seemed a time when any- 
thing like church machinery Would run to seed so 
quick as now. Even if an enterprise that is started 
definitely as a holiness work gets a few officers and 
committees in it, in a few days or months it gets just 
as churchly and high-headed and dictatorial as an old 
popish institution. For this reason God is utilizing 
individuality in his kingdom as never before. 

"Another feature of the present crisis is, that God 
will test the faith of his waiting ones, and all those 
persons who are making almanacs for the Lord, and 
fixing dates for the fulfilling of certain prophecies, 
are going to be disappointed. We are living a life 
of faith in every particular, clear down to the last 



470 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

moment of his appearing in the sky. The Scriptures 
are very clear in setting forth two facts concerning 
Christ's coming. On the one hand we are told of the 
signs that would precede his coming, and we are told 
to watch those things, and they will indicate his com- 
ing as near; on the other hand we are expressly told 
that the day and hour of his appearing will never be 
made known beforehand, and our wisdom lies in not 
forgetting the signs on the one hand, nor in fixing 
dates on the other. Hence Jesus commands us to keep 
in the attitude of a watcher, always ready, always ex- 
pecting, yet not knowing. In the parable of the ten 
virgins, our Savior clearly intimates that the bride- 
groom will tarry beyond the time that his people ex- 
pected him. The picture is that of a crowd of pas- 
sengers sitting in a station and waiting for a night 
train which is behind time, and while they are yet 
waiting they get drowsy and nod. The sentence, 
'They all slumbered and slept,' should more properly 
be, they became 'drowsy and nodded.' This applies 
to the very elect, who will be taken into the wedding, 
and indicates a crisis of the trial of the faith of the 
sanctified ones. 

"But the most significant of all things in the pres- 
ent crisis is the testing of true faith in all points of 
doctrine. There never was a time since the fall of 
Adam when the human race was so drenched with 
the muddy waters of heresy. Everything moves wi th 
lightning rapidity. The principles that lie hidden in 
every system of government, education, social life. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 471 

and manifold forms of religion, are swiftly pushing 
themselves to prestige and open manifestation. Sin 
is not only working out every species of wickedness 
that can be invented, but the intellect of the so-called 
Christianized world is showing signs of decay in its 
ability to grasp sturdy Bible truth, and is largely 
turning from the Bible to old worn-out heathen ideas. 
Every doctrine of the Bible is being twisted into fan- 
ciful theories. The scriptures teaching of sin and the 
need of broken-hearted repentance is practically ig- 
nored by thousands of ministers and church-members. 
The absolute divinity of Jesus is growing weaker in 
the faith of many who claim to teach his gospel, and 
some who profess to be very orthodox say they do not 
pray to Jesus. The literal resurrection of the body 
taught by the Scriptures is caricatured and treated 
lightly by professed theologians, ministers, and pro- 
fessed Christians. The immortality of the soul and 
its conscious existence, either in heaven or hell, during 
the sleep of the body in death, is being rejected for 
the old heathen notion. The experience of justifying 
and sanctifying grace, attested by the personal Holy 
Spirit, is rejected by millions of church-members. 
Everlasting reward and punishment is laughed at as 
an old tradition instead of a serious doctrine of the 
Bible. 

"It is well nigh impossible to enter a single pro- 
fessed Christian family in Europe or America in 
which some member has not a new patent on Scrip- 



472 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OK, 

ture truth and holds some fanciful notion concerning 
the serious teachings of the Bible. I find a great 
many passages in which the last form of testifying 
for God's saints will be that of their faith in the 
simple plain old doctrines of God's Word. Jesus 
warns us that just before his coming every possible 
heresy and every variety of false Christ will appear 
to deceive the people, and that if it were possible they 
should deceive the very elect. And John in Revelation 
tells us of an era of the going forth of frogs, which 
are evil spirits, to seduce the people from the true 
faith. We -are living in the frog era. In nearly eve- 
ry city in the land there are from one to three per- 
sons who claim to be God, or an incarnation of Christ, 
or the Holy Spirit. Thousands of religious people 
think it is too tame and uninteresting to accept all 
of the plain old doctrines of the Scripture, so they 
want something original and startling." 

In the past two years the popular religious bodies, 
including an aristocratic ministry, have turned to 
worldliness at a rapid and unprecedented rate, and 
what will be seen of proud formalism, socialism, and 
rejection of divine truth in the circles of denomina- 
tionalism within the next ten years would now appear 
incredulous. 

The following poem selected from a recent religious 
periodica] is vividly descriptive of the present-day 
religious denominations, commonly known as churches. 
However the true church of God is an entirely dif- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 473 

ferent institution, and just as far separated from the 
world, and just as bitterly hated by her as when she 
imprisoned, stoned and martyred her 'devoted fol- 
lowers. 

THE CHUKCH WALKING WITH THE WOELD. 

"The Church and the World walked far apart, 

On the changing shores of time; 
The World was singing a giddy song, 

And the Church a hymn sublime. 
' Come, give me your hand, ' cried the merry World, 

'And walk with me this way;' 
But the good Church hid her snowy hand, 

And solemnly answered, 'Nay, 
I will not give you my hand at all, 

And I will not walk with you; 
Your way is the way of endless death; 

Your words are all untrue.' 

' ' ' Nay, walk with me but a little space, ' 

Said the World with a kindly air; 
'The road I walk is a pleasant road, 

And the sun shines always there. 
Your path is thorny and rough and rude, 

And mine is broad and plain; 
My road is paved with flowers and gems, 

And yours with tears and pain. 
The sky above me is always blue: 

No want, no toil, I know; 
The sky above you is always dark; 

Your lot is a lot of woe. 
My path, you see, is a broad, fair path, 

And my gate is high and wide- 
There is room enough for you and for me 

To travel side by side. 7 



4?4 ftHE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

' ' Half shyly the Church approached the World, 

And gave him her hand of snow: 
The old World grasped it and walked along, 

Saying, in accents low, 
'Your dress is too simple to please my taste; 

I will give you pearls to wear, 
Eich velvet and silks for your graceful form, 

And diamonds to deck your hair.' 
The Church looked down at her plain white robes, 

And then at the dazzling World, 
And blushed as she saw his handsome lip 

With a smile contemptuous curled. 
'I will change my dress for a costlier one/ 

Said the Church with, a smile of grace; 
Then her pure garments drifted away, 

And the World gave in their place, 
Beautiful satins, and shining silks, 

And roses and gems and pearls; 
And over her forehead her bright hair fell 

Crisped in a thousand curls. 

' ' ' Your house is too plain, ' said the proud old World, 

'I'll build you one like mine: 
Carpets of Brussels, and curtains of lace, 

And furniture ever so fine.' 
So he built her. a costly and beautiful house- 
Splendid it was to behold; 
Her sons and her beautiful daughters dwelt there, 

Gleaming in purple and gold; 
And fairs and shows in the halls were held, 

And the World and his children were there; 
And laughter and music and feasts were heard 

In the place that was meant for prayer. 
She had cushioned pews for the rich and the great, 

To sit in their pomp and their pride, 
While the poor folks, clad in their shabby suits, 

Sat meekly down outside. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 4?5 



And whispered, 'I know thy sin.' 
The Church looked back with a sigh, and longed 

To gather her children in; 
But some were off in the midnight ball, 

And some were off at the play, 
And some were drinking in gay saloons; 

So she quietly went her way. 
The sly World gallantly said to her, 

'Your children mean no harm — 
Merely indulging in innocent sports.' 

So she leaned on his proffered arm, 
And smiled, and chatted, and gathered flowers, 

As she walked along with the World; 
While millions and millions of deathless souls 

To the horrible pit were hurled. 

" 'Your preachers are all too old and plain/ 

Said the gay old World with a sneer; 
1 They frighten my children with dreadful tales, 

Which I like not for them to hear: 
They talk of brimstone and fire and pain, 

And the horrors of endless night; 
They talk of a place that should not be 

Mentioned to ears polite. 
I will send you some of the better stamp, 

Brilliant and gay and fast, 
Who will tell them that people may live as they list, 

And go to heaven at last. 
The Father is merciful and great and good, 

Tender and true and kind; 
Do you think he would take ojic child to heaven 

And leave the rest behind?' 
So he filled her house with gay divines, 

Gifted and great and learned; 
And the plain old men that preached the cross 

Were out of the pulpit turned. 



476 THE GOSPEL DAY ; Otfc, 

" 'You give too much to the poor/ said the World; 

'Far more than you ought to do. 
If the poor need shelter and food and clothes, 

Why need it trouble you? 
Go, take your money and buy rich robes, 

And horses and carriages fine, 
And pearls and jewels and dainty food, 

And the rarest and costliest wine. 
My children they dote on all such things, 

And if you their love would win, 
You must do as they do, and walk in the ways 

That they are walking in.' 
The Church held tightly the strings of her purse, 

And gracefully lowered her hand, 
And simpered, 'I've given too much away; 

I'll do, sir, as you have said.' 

' ' So the poor were turned from her door in scorn, 

And she heard not the orphans' cry; 
And she drew her beautiful robes aside, 

As the widows went weeping by. 
The sons of the World and the sons of the Church 

Walked closely hand and heart, 
And only the Master who knoweth all, 

Could tell the two apart. 
Then the Church sat down at her ease and said, 

'T am rich, and in goods increased; 
I have need of nothing, and naught to do 

But to laugh and dance and feast.' 
The sly World heard her, and laughed in his sleeve, 

And mockingly said aside, 
'The Church is fallen— the beautiful Church — 

And her shame is her boast and pride ! ' 

' ' The angel drew near to the mercy-seat, 

And whispered, in sighs, her name; 
And the saints their anthems of rapture hushed, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 477 

And covered their heads with shame. 
And a voice came down, through the hush of heaven, 

From Him who sat on the throne, 
'I know thy work, and how thou hast said, 

I am rich; and hast not known 
That thon art raked and poor and blind 

And wretched before my face; 
Therefore, from my presence I cast thee out, 

And blot thy name from its place! ' "—Sel. 

To-day the proud, fashionable sectarian churches 
are lovingly folded in the arms of the giddy world, 
and in her mad, drunken, lustful craze she is crying, 
"On with the dance, let joy be unconfined." 

MYSTERIOUS PROPHECIES REVEALED. 

The bringing in of the evening light by the Holy 
Spirit has been the clearing away of much mystery 
from prophetic texts. The voice of the angel said, in 
speaking to Daniel, ' ' But thou, Daniel, shut up the 
words, and seal the book, even to the time of the 
end. ' ' Dan. 12 : 4. We have reached the time of the 
end— the evening, and 'the book is unsealed and re- 
vealed and the "wise understand"; but "none of the 
wicked understand. ' ' Many texts of Revelation were 
fulfilled and understood when the evening light 
flashed across its pages. We will quote a few. 

Revelation 14: 6-8. 

' ' And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heav- 
en, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them 
that dwell on the earth, and to every nation; and kin- 



4:78 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

dred, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, 
Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his 
judgment is come : and worship him that made heaven, 
and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. 
And there followed another angel saying, Babylon is 
fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all 
nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her forni- 
cation. ' ' 

Angel is from the Greek anggelos, and means 
agent or messenger. ' ' Heaven ' ' does not refer to the 
glory world above, but to the work of God and heaven 
here upon earth. This angel is a messenger or servant 
in the work of the Lord. He has the everlasting gos- 
pel to preach to the people. The burden of his minis- 
try is, "Fear. God, and give glory to him ; for the hour 
of his judgment is come. ' ' The evening or time of the 
end is reached, the hour of God 's judgment, the time 
of the bride's especial preparation for the coming of 
the bridegroom. This ministry is closely followed 
by another messenger declaring, "Babylon is fallen, 
is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations 
drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication." 

"Babylon is fallen." This is a prediction against 
mystery Babylon the great and her harlot daughters- 
Catholicism and Protestantism. This God's pure min- 
istry has been preaching for the last two decades. 
Sectism is in a fallen condition. It is fallen into the 
depths of worldliness. She has opened her bosom and 
invited the world in to revel with her. She has pre- 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 479 

pared a potion of charming delusive spirits, by which 
she has intoxicated and inflamed the blood of nations. 
In the last few years the concerts, fairs and socials 
are frequented by both the professed Christians and 
non-professors, and in their dress, conversation, 
and general manner, they are undistinguishable. Sect- 
ism to-day in not enticing people to enter her fold by 
preaching the everlasting gospel, but she allures them 
by her seducing love decoction of lewdness, worldli- 
ness and licentiousness. Babylon is fallen. 

Some of the Old Testament texts contain a spiritual 
import. "Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and de- 
liver every man his soul : be not cut off in her iniquity ; 
for this is the time of the Lord's vengeance; he will 
render unto her a recompense." Jer. 51: 6. This lan- 
guage is especially forcible at this present day. We 
have reached the time of the Lord's vengeance, 

"Babylon hath been a golden cup in the Lord's 
hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations 
have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are 
mad." Jer. 51:7. The woman (mystery Babylon 
and her daughters) sitting upon the scarlet-colored 
beast had a golden cup in her hand. Rev. 17 : 4. The 
day was, as we have before spoken, when God did 
save some souls in sectism and gave them the Holy 
Spirit's power. But Satan has succeeded in emptying 
the golden cup of that which was divine and filled it 
with intoxicating potions that have allured nations 
to commit fornication with her. 



480 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

"Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: howl 
for her; take balm for her pain, if so be she may be 
healed. We would have healed Babylon, but she is 
not healed : forsake her, and let us go every one into 
his own country: for her judgment reacheth unto 
heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies." Jer. 51: 
8, 9. Babylon can never be healed. She will not be 
healed. She is irredeemable. Destruction is her 
doom. "Forsake her and let us go every one into his 
own country.'"' 

Hear the lamentation of the children of God in 
their captivity in Babylon: "By the rivers of Baby- 
lon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remem- 
bered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows, 
in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us 
away captive required of us a song; and they that 
wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one 
of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's 
song in a strange land ? ' ' Psa. 137 : 1-4. 

Perishing souls in sectism would love to serve God 
better, but in their captivity they can not sing the 
songs of praise and glory. 

BABYLON. 

By thy dark deceptive waters, 
Sighing, moaning, troubled sea, 

Captives sing their songs of sorrow, 
Hoping, longing to be free. 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 481 

Who shall sing the songs of Zion 

On thy banks, O raging sea? 
The voice of bridegroom and the bride 

Is heard no more at all in thee. 

Golden days are gone forever, 

Days now dark and dreary be; 
Harps untuned and silent ever, 

Silent by the moaning sea. 

Sadly weeping stands the willow 

On thy shore, O surging sea; 
' Neath its shade my steps shall never, 

Never, never more shall be. 

' ' Zion " is a metaphor, signifying ' ' Jerusalem, which 
is from above, ' ' or the church of God. It is the home 
of the saints, where they are cared for by the Lord. 
As the ancient literal city of Babylon typifies the 
great spiritual Babylon, so the literal city of Jerusa- 
lem typifies the spiritual Jerusalem or Zion or church 
of God. God does not want his people joined unto 
a sect and under the laws and creeds and authority 
of man. He wants the full care of them. However, 
many of God 's children, through ignorance, have been 
induced to seek a home in Babylon. Here they have 
been taken captive. In this evening time God is lead- 
ing them back to Zion. ' ' ' The ransomed of the Lord 
shall return and come to Zion with songs and ever- 
lasting joy upon their heads." Isa. 35 : 10. The songs 
of Zion are not to be sung in the barren land of Baby- 
lon. Babylon has gone into Zion and captured God's 
devoted children, but God will be avenged. ''And \ 

Si 



482 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants 
of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion 
in your sight, saith the Lord. ' ' Jer. 51 : 24. 

Here is a prophecy relating to this evening time. 
"In those days, and that time, saith the Lord, the 
children of Israel shall come, they and the children of 
Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go, 
and seek the Lord their God. They shall ask the way 
to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come 
and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual 
covenant that shall not be forgotten." Jer. 50:4,5. 
See them coming home to Zion with the glory of God 
risen upon them. Halleluiah ! % 

ZION. 

In thy clear, transparent water, 
Peaceful, cleansing, crystal sea, 

In thy sparkling beauty flowing, 
Let me ever sail on thee. 

There is music in the ripple 

Of thy wave, O purest sea; 
Here we sing the songs of Zion, 

In a soft sweet melody. 

Peaceful are thy streams forever, 

Gentle, calmest, tranquil sea; 
Harps are tuned to heavenly music; 

Hear the pleasant melody. 

Tree of life is blooming ever 

On thy shore, O crystal sea; 
'Neath its shade my walk shall ever ? 

Ever and forever be ? 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 483 

Revelation 18 : 1-5, 16, 17, 23. 

"And after these things I saw another angel come 
down from heaven, having great power; and the 
earth was lightened with his glory. And he cried 
mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the 
great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habita- 
tion of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and 
a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. For all 
nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her 
fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed 
fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth 
are waxed rich through the abundance of her deli- 
cacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, say- 
ing, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not par- 
takers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her 
plagues, for her sins have reached unto heaven, and 
God hath remembered her iniquities." 

"Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine 
linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, 
and precious stones, and pearls ! For in one hour so 
great riches is come to nought." "And the light 
of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee ; and 
the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be 
heard no more at all in thee." 

This holy messenger announces the fall of Babylon, 
and gives a description of it. All that is pure, holy 
and divine has been driven out of sect Babylon and 
leaves its subjects to be ravished by unclean, worldly 



484 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

spirits, devouring their souls, and leaving the whole 
an unclean cage. God has gone out of sectism. He 
works with them no more; his voice is heard no more 
in her, and his call to his people is to 'come out of 
her. ' ' ' Flee out of Babylon, and deliver every man his 
soul." God dwells in Zion, and there shines the 
beautiful light of the gospel. "Out of Zion the per- 
fection of beauty God hath shined. " "Arise, shine; 
for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is 
risen upon thee." Isa. 60: 1. 

Return and come to Zion, captive daughter; un- 
loose the bands of sectism from off thy neck; cast 
aside the creeds and tyranny of man; cease the cold 
forms and frozen conventionalities, and seek the green 
pasture fields of Zion, where there are songs and ever- 
lasting joy, and sighs and sorrow come no more. 

Matthew 13th- chapter. 

The parable of the Savior in which he likens the 
kingdom of heaven unto a man which sowed good 
seed in his field is also illustrative of the gospel day. 
The field is the world. The Son of man sowing the 
good seed is the glorious gospel work of the morn- 
ing. The enemy that sowed the tares is the apostasy, 
which destroyed much of the good seed and sowed 
discord, contention, strife and superstition. The 
harvest-time is the evening time. The angels are 
God's holy messengers. 

In the evening of time the Son of man shall send 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 485 

forth his angels or messengers, and they shall gather 
out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them 
which do iniquity. God is calling his people out of 
all confusion and darkness, separating them from sin 
and the works of man. Such is the work to be done 
in the end of the world. 

Jeremiah 23d chapter. 

In the fifth and sixth verses of this chapter is a 
beautiful prophecy of Christ. "Behold, the days 
come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a 
righteous Branch, and a king shall reign and pros- 
per, and shall execute judgment and justice in the 
earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel 
shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he 
shall be called, The Lord our Righteousness." 

In the ninth verse the prophet tells of his broken 
heart because he foresees the dark apostasy. From 
verse nine to verse eighteen he speaks of the wicked 
doings of apostates. 

In verse nineteen he describes the present holi- 
ness reformation that is sweeping over the land. ' ' Be- 
hold, a whirlwind of the Lord is gone forth in fury, 
even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously 
upon the head of the wicked." 

Matthew 24th chapter. 

In the third verse of the twenty-fourth chapter of 

Matthew we read of the disciples questioning the 

Savior concerning the end of the world. They say, 

"Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall 



486 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the 
world?" In answering, the Savior in the sixth and 
the following few verses speaks of political upheav- 
als. In the eleventh and twelfth verses he predicts 
the apostasy of the noonday. "Many false prophets 
shall rise and. shall deceive many. And because iniq- 
uity shall abound the love of many shall wax cold." 
That is why a child of God finds it so difficult to re- 
tain an experience of salvation in sectism. Iniquity 
abounds, and being yoked up with such evil com- 
panions he can not stem the tide of influence. 

In the fourteenth verse the Savior says : ' ' And this 
gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the 
world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall 
the end come." This preaching of the gospel of the 
kingdom is to be after the apostasy, and just prior 
to the end of the world. Throughout sectism the- 
ology and tradition have been substituted for the gos- 
pel, but in the evening time John beholds an angel 
flying in the midst of heaven having the everlast- 
ing gospel to preach to them that dwell on the earth. 
This is the same as the preaching of the gospel in the 
end of the world to which the Savior refers. He has 
now taken the disciples once down through the whole 
of the Christian dispensation to the end of the world. 

In the fifteenth verse he begins with them again 
at the desolation spoken of by Daniel, which is the 
destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 A. D. From 
the sixteenth to the twenty-second verse inclusive, 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 487 

he instructs them concerning this abomination. From 
the twenty-third to the twenty-sixth inclusive he again 
speaks of the apostasy. False Christs and false proph- 
ets shall arise. In the twenty-seventh and twenty- 
eighth verses he speaks of the end of the world. He 
has now taken them through the Christian era again 
down to the time of the end. In the twenty-ninth 
verse he leads them back again to the destruction of 
Jerusalem. "Immediately after the tribulation of 
those days [by this he refers to the destruction of 
Jerusalem] shall the sun be darkened, and the moon 
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from 
heaven." This is the obscuring of Christ and the 
church by the beast power in the noontime. 

In the thirty-first verse he says, "And he shall 
send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and 
they shall gather together his elect from the four 
winds, from one end of heaven to the other." These 
are the angels that are shouting, "Come out of 
her, my people." They are gathering out of God's 
kingdom all things that do offend and them that do 
iniquity. This is the work of God in the time of the 
end. "Deliver thyself, Zion, that dwellest with 
the daughter of Babylon." Zech. 2:7. "Behold, I 
will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they 
shall fish them ; and after will I send for many hunt- 
ers, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, 
and from every hill, and out of the holes of the 
rocks." Jer. 16:16. 



488 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

"Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scat- 
ter the sheep of my pasture ! saith the Lord. There- 
fore thus saith the Lord God of Israel against the 
pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my 
flock, and driven them away, and have not visited 
them : behold, I will visit upon you the evils, of your 
doings, saith the Lord. And I will gather the rem- 
nant of my flock out of all countries whither I have 
driven them, and will bring them again to their 
fold; and they shall be fruitful and increase." Jer. 
23 : 1-3. 

In the evening of time God will gather the scat- 
tered remnant of his people, but woe be to the 
pastors that scattered them. Let the proud lords of 
sectism repent of their evil doings ere God visits his 
woe upon them. 

' ' For thus saith the Lord God ; Behold, I, even I, 
will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As 
a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he 
is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek 
out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places 
where they have been scattered in the cloudy and 
dark day [sectism]. And I will bring them out 
from the people, and gather them from the coun- 
tries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed 
them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and 
in all the inhabited places of the country. I will 
feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high 
mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 489 

they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall 
they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed 
my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith 
the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and 
bring again that which was driven away, and will 
bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen 
that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and 
the strong; I will feed them with judgment." Ezek. 
34:11-16. 

God is gathering out his own into the beautiful 
light of Zion. We have now reached the time when 
the above promise is being fulfilled by the delivering 
hand of God. Amid the ruins of Babel confusion the 
Lord has a remnant which he is gathering home to 
their goodly fold, in the top of the mountains of 
Israel. 

"Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very 
small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we 
should have been like unto Gomorrah. ' ' Isa. 1 : 9. 
"Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that 
shall be brought forth/' Ezek. 14:22. 

' ' Have you heard the voice from heaven, 

Calling in a solemn tone, 
' Come, my people, from confusion, 

This is not your native home?' 

"Do you know, O ransomed brother, 

That we stand upon the verge, 
Where old time fills up his ages, 

And the lost will mourn his dirge? 



490 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

' * Yes, I heard, and to my vision 
Zion's glory brightly shone; 

Then I rose and fled the ruin, 
Taking not a Babel stone. 

"Yes, my soul has come to Zion, 
On the high and holy way, 

And I've seen all darkness flying, 
Driven by, the light of day. 

[Now the evening light is flashing, 
God is gathering to their home 

All the pure and holy remnant 
Waiting for the Lord to come.] 

"Oh, what myriad souls are sleeping, 
Soon to wake in judgment-fires; 

Help, O God, thy remnant gleaning, 
Until time indeed expires.' \ 



I have cast each sectish idol 

To the mole and to the bat; ( Isa. 2: 20. ) 

I am feeding on the mountain, 

And my soul is growing fat. (Ezek. 34: 14.) 



THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST. 

When Jesus was taken up into heaven and a 
cloud had received him out of sight, two heavenly vis- 
itants appeared unto the men of Galilee and said, 
"This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into 
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen 
him go into heaven. ' ' Acts 1 : 11. Jesus went up in 
a cloud and he is to come again in like manner as 
he went up. "And then shall they see the Son of 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 491 

man coming in the clouds with great power and 
glory." Mark 13:26. 

No one knows the exact time of his coming. "But 
of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the 
angels of heaven, but my Father only." Mat. 24: 
36. We can know, however, when his coming is near. 
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, 
know that it is near, even at the door." Mat. 24: 33. 
The things spoken of here by which we may know that 
the coming of the Lord is near, is the gathering to- 
gether of God's elect from out the ruins of Babylon 
and the world. The work of gathering is now in 
rapid progress. The messengers are flying with the 
everlasting gospel. Soon it will reach all nations. 
They are calling, 'Come out of her, my people, for 
the hour of her judgment is come.' Thus we now 
see the Savior's coming is near, even at the door. 
Even so, come, Lord Jesus ! 

He sounds a warning to all to be ready. "There- 
fore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye 
think not the Son of man cometh. ' ' Mat. 24 : 44. 
What will be the condition of this world when Jesus 
comes? "But as the days of Noe were, so shall also 
the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the 
days that were before the flood they were eating and 
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until 
the day that Noe entered into the ark, and knew not 
until the flood came, and took them all away; so 
shall also the coming of the Son of man be." Mat. 



492 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

24: 37-39. Who is not able to fully understand this? 
In the end of the world wickedness and revelry shall 
be as it was in the days of Noah. "In the last days 
perilous times shall come." "But evil men and se- 
ducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and be- 
ing deceived." 2 Tim. 3:13. The very deepest de- 
ceptions shall be upon the people in the time of the 
end. They shall be saying, ' ' Peace and safety, ' ' then 
sudden destruction cometh upon them. 

Just before the second coming of the Savior, and 
while God is gathering together the scattered fold of 
Israel, Satan "shall go out to deceive the nations 
which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and 
Magog [both forms of the apostasy], to gather them 
together to battle : the number of whom is as the sand 
of the sea. And they went upon the breadth of the 
earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, 
and the beloved city [Zion]." Rev. 20:8, 9. 

We are now living in the time when the sixth an- 
gel is pouring his vial upon the great river Eu- 
phrates, and the waters are being dried up. The 
time when the unclean spirits (the state power, eccle- 
siastical power, and the Babylon ministry) are going 
out unto the whole earth to gather them to the battle 
of that great day of God Almighty. Rev. 16 : 12-14. 
Even at this day the state power is favorably inclined 
toward the beast power. The candidate for office is 
upheld and defends the corrupt city for advantage. 
The kings of the earth are committing fornication 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 493 

with her. The state officials are so infatuated with 
her delicacies and intoxicated upon her wines that a 
true child of God can scarcely get a hearing of justice 
to-day in the courts. The prophet (ministry), church 
(so-called), and state, are the powers engaged in bat- 
tle against God. 

We are living in the time when the sixth angel is 
sounding. Rev. 9 : 13. Soon the seventh angel will 
stand upon the land and sea and with hand uplifted 
to heaven swear by him that liveth forever and ever, 
that time shall be no longer. Rev. 10 : 5-7. That 
day shall not come unawares upon the children of 
light. They will be watching for their Lord to come, 
when they shall be caught up to meet him in the 
air and forever be with him. Amen. 1 Thes. 4 : 17. 

What shall be the doom of the wicked when that 
great and notable day of the Lord shall cornel 
' ' And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the 
Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his 
mighty angels, in naming fire taking vengeance on 
them that know not God, and that obey not the gos- 
pel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be pun- 
ished with everlasting destruction from the presence 
of the Lord, and from the glory of his power." 2 
Thes. 1 : 7-9. 

This flaming fire in which the Lord shall be revealed 
from heaven is the fire that shall come down from God 
out of heaven and devour Gog and Magog as they are 
compassing the camp of the saints and the beloved 
city. Rev. 20 : 9, 



494 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OK, 

Dear saint, our God is able to deliver thee. "Where- 
fore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be 
diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, with- 
out spot and blameless. ' ' 2 Pet. 3 : 14. The Holy Spir- 
it is in the world searching out and bringing to the 
light every one that can be persuaded to accept sal- 
vation. Soon he will have gone over the world and 
gleaned out every one that is disposed to serve God. 
The world at large will reject him. His mission 
will be ended. He will ascend to the Father. Then 
as Christ went into heaven he will come again, 
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and re- 
ceiving his own unto himself. Then the Savior's mis- 
sion will be ended. He will turn all over to the Fa- 
ther, and the three shall be but one. 

"Be ye therefore also ready; for in such an hour as 
ye think not the Son of man cometh. " "Prepare to 
meet thy God." 

THE LAST DAY. 

This gospel day is the last day. There never will 
be another age of time. An age-to-come teacher is 
branded by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit, as 
a false teacher. We need no other age in which to pre- 
pare for eternity. This is the day of salvation. "Now 
is the accepted time." Now is the day and this is the 
time for us to accept Christ, and to be accepted of him. 
The Word of God holds no promise to you of another 
day of salvation. How can man, unless he be wholly 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 495 

subverted, teach another age to come when so many 
immutable and infallible texts declare this is the last 
day and last time? We will quote a few texts on 
this subject, and that alone will convince every one 
that is candid.* 

"That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he 
might gather together in one all things in Christ, both 
which are in heaven, and which are on earth ; even in 
him." Eph. 1:10. Are we not to understand that 
with this dispensation time is full? Then it will be 
the end, and as the seventh angel declares, "Time 
shall be no more." 

"This know also, that in the last days perilous times 
shall come." 2 Tim. 3 : 1. These are declared to be the 
last days, hence there is no other day to come. Only 
eternity lies before us when this present time is 
ended. 

"God, who at sundry times and in divers manners 
spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 
hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son." 
Heb. 1 : 1, 2. Here again it is declared that the day 
of Christ, this Christian dispensation, is the last day, 
and that "there should be mockers in the last time, 
who should walk after their own ungodly lusts." Jude 
18. How can you expect another time when this is 
declared to be the last time ? ' ' Who verily was fore- 
ordained before the foundation of the world, but was 

*See "The Last Dispensation," Gospel Trumpet Co., Mounds- 
ville, W. Va- 



496 THE GOSPEL DAY; OR, 

manifest in these last times for you. ' ' 1 Pet. 1 : 20. 
"Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last 
days scoffers." 2 Pet. 3 : 3. "Little children, it is the 
last time." 1 John 2:18. 

How does John know it is the last time? Because 
the antichrists that Paul says should come in the last 
days have come, therefore John says in the same verse, 
' l We know that it is the last time. ' ' 

Many more texts from both Testaments could be 
quoted, but surely the reader will not ask for any 
more to help him believe it is the last time. 

" While false prophets are confiding 

In a foolish, erring dream, 
Of millennial enjoyments, 

They neglect the cleansing stream. 

'raoift 8A9rpq ^,nop 'jamas lood q,, 

There will be no age to come; 
If in life you find not Jesus, 

Death will seal your awful doom." 

CONCLUSION OF PART THIRD. 

We have placed. before the reader in the best man- 
ner we could, considering our limited time, the beauti- 
ful light and wonderful accomplishments of redeem- 
ing grace in the morning- of this gospel day. In the 
apostolic period, we again repeat, the church was the 
light of the world. The Christians believed the whole 
Word of God. They taught the whole truth and no 
more, They lived a pure, holy life just as Jesus lived 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 497 

and just as the Bible declares that Christians must 
live. They were fully consecrated to God. They 
counted not their lives dear unto themselves. They 
forsook all to follow Jesus and lived wholly unto him. 
They had faith in God and power with him. They 
were of one heart and of one soul. They all spake the 
same thing. They were humble and equal. They 
healed the sick, cast out devils, and raised the dead 
in Jesus' name. Thus they were the light of the world. 

Now the evening shall be as light as the morning. 
Man, as a Christian, shall live as pure and holy and 
as deeply consecrated in this evening of time as did 
the Christian in the morning time. At this present 
time God is raising up a people who believe, expe- 
rience and teach the whole Word of truth. They have 
fled the ruins of Babylon and are proclaiming the 
everlasting gospel in the fear of God and the clear 
light of heaven. God is working with his pure and 
consecrated ministry, confirming the Word with signs 
and deeds and wonders, the same as he did with the 
early ministry. 

There are thousands to-day who gladly bear testi- 
mony to the wonderful healing power of God. The 
blind have been made to see, the lame to walk ; broken 
bones have been united, cancers removed, consumption 
cured. The deaf have been made to hear, the dumb to 
speak, and devils have been cast out. All these won- 
ders, and many more, have been wrought in the name 
of the holy child Jesus in God's pure church within 



498 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

the last few years. God is increasing his church in 
faith, purity, power, and glory, and in the immediate 
coming years much greater things than these shall ye 
hear and see. Amen. 

A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. 

It is recorded in the Bible that God will not hear 
sinners. While this is true it has its modifications. 
Those who are in wilful and stubborn rebellion against 
God he will not hear, even though in a day of trouble 
and fear they should call upon him. But when in the 
more sober moments of life man's heart feels the in- 
fluence of the Holy Spirit inclining his desires toward 
a better life, arousing the nobler aspirations of his 
soul, enkindling to a brighter flame the spark of hu- 
manity ; when, though he be not in possession of God 's 
saving grace, under such an influence he, in sincerity 
of heart, calls upon God, he will hear and answer his 
call as far as consistent with the divine mind, and thus 
encourage his soul on .to the Christian goal. 

Our boyhood days and the early days of our man- 
hood were spent amid the gay scenes and pleasures of 
Life. When in the whirl of society-life we had no se- 
rious thoughts. There would, however, in our more 
secluded hours, when naught stood between us and the 
whisperings of our soul, arise thoughts of futurity. 
The Holy Spirit would speak to our heart of God, of 
heaven, of Christ and the blood ; he would hold be- 
fore us in a beautiful picture the life of a Christian 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 499 

journeying onward to a glory world. He would also 
disclose to our view the hideousness and awfulness of 
sin, and the uneasiness, discontentments, trouble and 
fear attending the wicked as they journey onward to 
the eternal region of woe. 

In these more sober hours we would seek God for 
his protection with sincere, heartfelt pledges that some 
day we would serve him. God heard these prayers 
and gave his protection. We now in reviewing the 
scenes of those early days see the many snares and 
dangers Satan had arranged for our destruction, but 
out of them all the Lord delivered us. Bless his name ! 
There was one instance of God hearing our prayer, 
though in what may be considered a trivial matter, 
yet made a deep impression upon us and went far 
to enforce upon us the reality of God and his Word. 

One night we had a journey of several miles to make 
on horseback. It was nine o'clock when we started. 
After traveling about two miles our horse became very 
lame. In our pity for him we dismounted and throw- 
ing the reins over the saddle started the horse on be- 
fore us. After some two or three miles of traveling 
thus, our horse seemed much improved. For the pur- 
pose of faster travel, we concluded to again ride. Our 
attempts to catch the horse seemed in vain. Repeat- 
edly we tried to come up with him, but when we had 
come near he would trot on before. After many unsuc- 
cessful trials it occurred to our mind that we should 
ask God to aid us, Accordingly the Father was im- 



500 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

plored to cause the horse to stand that we might come 
up with him. Although not a Christian we believed 
there was help in God, and trusting in him we ap- 
proached the animal, speaking to him as we had before, 
when he stopped and we mounting continued our lone- 
ly journey in deep and solemn thought of the verity 
of God. 

In the winter of 1886-87 we became very much con- 
cerned about our soul. A revival meeting was in 
progress in the little village in which we lived. They 
did not teach salvation by grace through faith as was 
taught by the apostles, but we, knowing no better, and 
wanting to escape the damnation of hell, and hoping 
for an avenue of escape, concluded to take this. Ac- 
cordingly we gave the minister our hand one night, 
and answered in the affirmative his few questions con- 
cerning our belief in God. On our way home we 
were baptized, for we were taught that the water 
washed away sins. During the days following we kept 
a close watch upon our heart and life to learn if there 
was any change. We were disappointed. We found 
that sin held the same power over us. There remained 
the same uncertainty of our eternal state. The 
thoughts of death had lost none of their fear, and the 
grave none of its terror. We were troubled. Here we 
had entered, as we hoped, a path that led to heaven, 
but yet all was dark and uncertain. God, is this all 
of thy kingdom upon the earth?' 

I would question the older members of our congre- 



THE LIGHT OF dHUlSTlANiTlT. SOl 

gation about their experience. Should you be Called 
for to-night to depart this life are you fully assured 
that your home will be in heaven ? Have you no fear 
to meet God? They would answer me thus: "We can 
never know in this life just what the decision of the 
Great Judge will be until we come before his awful 
tribunal. In this world we can only go on the best we 
can, and hope for the most in the judgment." 

This was sad news to my soul. Is this all there is 
in a Christian life ? Where is the great peace, the 
joy, the bright hope and positiveness promised in the 
Bible? But thinking these old heads knew all about 
the Christian life, I endeavored to console myself and 
calm my fears. I very poorly succeeded, for which I 
now praise God. 

One instance occurred at this time that troubled me 
very greatly. One night after retiring we heard a 
shout of "Fire! fire!" upon the street. On rushing 
to the door and looking up the whole heavens above 
us seemed to be one burning flame. All was on fire. 
The first thought that came to our mind was, It is the 
last night of this world. The earth, and all its works, 
is burning up. A great fear came upon me. Whith- 
er shall I go, and whither shall I flee from His 
presence? The cause of alarm proved to be a burn- 
ing building over a hill, casting the reflection on the 
dark clouds over us. We read in the Bible of a class 
unfit and unprepared for heaven, that would in that 
day call for the mountains and the hills to fall upon 



502 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

them to hide them from God's presence. Here we, 
trying and claiming to be a Christian, experienced just 
what was said should be the experience of the wicked, 
and my soul was alarmed. Earnest became our efforts 
to live a better life. Fierce was our struggle against 
sin, deep and firm would be the resolutions, but sin 
was a hard, strong master, who ground us beneath his 
iron heel. We sought every known means for relief, 
walking for miles to hear a sermon to learn of a more 
successful life. 

Often in these days of struggle would I become 
unpleasant in my home. Should my children be a 
little trying, I would speak to them in a cross, snap- 
pish way. I would see them stand back in fear 
before my harsh voice, and this would sting my con- 
science. A child in fear of its father! how unchris- 
tianlike ! When my wife, whom I had vowed to love 
always, would not do according to my judgment I 
would hastily reprove in strong language. We would 
see the tears start from her eyes, and again our con- 
science would be heavily smitten. Resolve after re- 
solve was made to be more tender and kind to our 
dear ones, only to be broken by the power of im- 
patience. 

In our efforts to become more gentle and tender 
we often would read an article in an old school- 
reader entitled "Sorrow for the Dead." In this the 
writer said words like these, to the best of our 
remembrance: "As we look upon the cold, lifeless 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 503 

form of, some dear, departed friend, there will come 
rushing to our memory, the unkind acts and deeds and 
thoughts we have had toward them. This remorse of 
conscience," he said, "should cause us to be more 
true to the living." We often would read this, and 
did receive some benefit from it for the time, but we 
found it powerless to conquer an irritable disposition. 
AVe can not forbear telling the reader here, although 
it is a little in the advance, that the day came when 
we- found the Savior in the wonders of his redeeming 
love and he broke the power of sin, and by his grace 
did strengthen and help us to be "true to the living." 
Glory, glory to his name ! 

It was in the summer of 1890 that the struggle be- 
came very desperate. The convicting hand of God lay 
heavily upon me. The burden of sin lay heavily upon 
my soul, especially the sin of tobacco using. We had 
no man to teach us. None seemed to care, nor pity. 
God, however, was humbling us down to a final de- 
cision. One late October morning on our way to the 
schoolroom, as we were teaching at that time, all 
alone upon the road, God spoke peace to our soul. 
Where is the pen to describe the experience of that 
hour! Mine, it seems, is utterly helpless. We were 
conscious of a life, power and glory, not terrestrial, 
filling our entire being. The earth was lit up with a 
splendor never seen before. In our days of deepest 
conviction we would picture to our mind the happiness 
of angels, but here we had come to the realization of 



504 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

something that far surpassed all we had imagined of 
the heavenly host. We felt like we wanted to sing 
and praise God forever. Wife had received a similar 
experience in her home a few days before. Our home 
at once became a heaven. We remembered in pity 
those who had endeavored to comfort us in our fears 
and tell us there was no better way. 

Two weeks passed of uninterrupted glory. How- 
ever, one morning after about two weeks, when doing 
some work which went wrong, we were strongly 
tempted to speak as we had formerly done on such 
occasions, but we overcame. The second time the 
work went wrong as previously, when the temptation 
came stronger than before. We felt something un- 
pleasant within us; however, God helped us to over- 
come, and we set to doing the work over, when it 
went wrong the third time. This time we were over- 
come and gave utterance to a word that brought a 
sense of guilt. No sooner had we spoken than we fell 
upon our knees and did not arise until we knew we 
were forgiven. By this experience we became con- 
scious of a foe within us that was going to give us 
trouble in the Christian life. 

About this time we providentially received a copy 
of a holiness paper, The Gospel Trumpet, which 
taught a higher life, namely, entire sanctification. 
This came as a light from heaven. We began to 
earnestly seek this experience. Before we reached 
this experience there were a few other occurrences in 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 0(J5 

our Christian life of which we wish to speak. At 
this time we were very ignorant of the Bible. It was 
our custom to have prayer at the schoolroom after the 
children were all gone to their homes. We would then 
go to our home with a heavenly glory resting upon 
us. One evening on our way home, we met a com- 
pany of our former worldly associates. They ac- 
costed us in their customary worldly way. We re- 
plied somewhat under the influence of their worldly 
spirit. I felt the glory depart, and an emptiness in- 
stead. I went on my way hastily, asking God to 
smile upon me again. He taught me by this that he 
had chosen me out of the world and its witticisms, 
and that slang phrases were foreign to his salvation. 

Soon after this, one morning in November when 
laboring in my garden a transparent glory shone all 
around me, and my soul was filled with peace. It 
was on election day. After working a few hours amid 
rapturous bliss, we went to the place of voting and 
cast our ballot along with political men. A shade 
came over my spirit, and for the remainder of the 
day it appeared that God had forsaken me and would 
never smile on me again. He taught me once more 
that he had chosen me out of the world and that 
politics in civil government was foreign to the king- 
dom of heaven. 

The Christmas-time drew near, and great prepa- 
rations were being made by the people for their fes- 
tivities. In these we found nothing congenial to our 



506 THE GOSPEL DAY ; OR, 

spirit. We had decided to remain at home on the 
night of these festivities and have a protracted Bible 
reading and prayers. We looked forward to the even- 
ing with pleasure, expecting great blessings 'from God. 
Just before we were ready to begin our Bible read- 
ing wife was taken with a severe aching in the head, 
that threatened to mar the enjoyment of the evening. 
We wondered why it was that God permitted us to 
be thus interrupted, when the Holy Spirit whispered, 
' * If you will ask God, he will heal her. ' ' Accordingly 
we fell upon our knees and petitioned God for his 
healing virtue, and instantly she was healed. This 
was our first experience in divine healing. 

In the following February a Holy Ghost minister 
came to our place and held a short series of meetings. 
He taught us the way of God more perfectly. We 
entered the glorious experience of entire sanctifica- 
tion during this meeting. We also beheld the body of 
Christ, the one true church, and saw in a clear light 
the monstrous beast religion in all her evils. God 
soon after called us into his work. We sold our little 
home, all we had of this world, and used the means 
in the work of the Lord. Our work for God has 
been independent of the creeds of men, teaching a full 
salvation and trusting God for everything. *We have 
held meetings in over twelve of the different states, 
and have never asked for money. Not on one single 
occasion have we taken up a collection. It would re- 
quire volumes to tell of the many times the Lord has 



THE LIGHT OF OHMSTIANITY. 507 

blessedly answered our prayers. God has never 
called us to any conspicuous position in this world. 
The great faith for the building of orphanages and 
homes, and establishing missions has been entrusted 
to other men. Our faith has been only for our daily 
bread and needs. Oh, what an assurance our heaven- 
ly Father gives us that he will never forsake us. 
We do not want the riches of this world. We would 
rather not have them. There is a blessedness in tak- 
ing our every want to Jesus. To look unto him daily 
for your temporal as well as spiritual support has a 
strong tendency to draw one very near to him. 

We would take pleasure in telling you of many of 
the instances in which God has heard and answered 
our prayers, but fearing you will take less pleasure in 
reading we will forbear, only saying that God has 
been petitioned for corn for our horse, and the prayer 
answered in a marvelous way before the day was 
over. We have asked God for a spool of thread, and 
our prayer has been answered at once. One time 
wife was on her knees asking God for soap, when there 
was a rap at the door, and upon opening it a lady 
presented her with a bar of soap. Almost daily the 
Lord is petitioned for flour, meat, sugar, or clothes, 
and he always gives us what we need. It is wonder- 
ful and just as glorious as it is wonderful. In fact, 
such a life is made up of glory. 

Some one may wonder if we ever have any tests 
of our faith. Oh, yes; there is where the greatest 



508 THE GOSPEL DAY; Oft, 

glory is. Not long since we were much in need of a 
dollar. In searching through my vest pocket for a 
match I found a dollar bill all neatly rolled up. 
Where it came from, and how, I never knew, only that 
the Lord sent it. Just last night, our twelve-year- 
old daughter said, "This is the last Sunday I can 
wear these shoes. Unless. I get a new pair I shall 
have to stay at home." We asked her if she had 
been asking the Lord for a pair. She answered, 
"Yes, sir." This morning in our family devotions 
we made especial mention, amid some other things, of 
the shoes. In less than two hours a Christian man 
came to the door and presented her with a pair. Yes, 
we would rather have a faith and trust in God than 
the wealth of a world. We feel more secure. 

The times God has healed different ones of our 
family we are unable to number. For the past eight 
years he, and he only, has been our physician. We 
have not in that time spent one cent for medicine. 
We have three children, aged four, six, and eight 
years, who have never tasted medicine. They never 
were given a dose of any kind of soothing syrups or 
"teas. ' ' God has always healed from the toothache to 
a broken limb. It does not take much of the Lord's 
means to provide for us. We wear no superfluous 
clothing. Our daily fare is plain and common. We 
use no stimulants, narcotics, nor medicines, and conse- 
quently just a few pennies a day is all we need. 
God in his great goodness supplies all these, while 



THE LIGHT OF CHRISTIANITY. 509 

we go telling the world of the wonderful blessings of 
salvation. 

We are at present engaged in ministerial work with- 
out salary. In all our meetings we take up no col- 
lection, we ask for no money in any way of man, and 
we have no other source of support but in God alone. 
Just as the apostles lived in the morning light, so we 
live in the evening light. Just what they enjoyed, we 
enjoy. In their preaching they gave God's people 
warning of the apostasy. In our ministry we preach, 
"Come out of her, my people." 

We enjoy more of the love of God than ever be- 
fore. His very life and power and glory fills our 
soul to the full. We are led exclusively by his Spirit 
and are fed and clothed by his bountiful hand. Our 
life is one of blessed contentment. Our home is a 
heaven and our happiness is complete. Even as we 
write, the waves of glory roll over our soul until we 
are made to shout praises to our God. We have never 
a care nor a sorrow, but a faith and trust in God 
that keeps us above every wave of trouble. We are 
dead to the world and living alone for his glory. His 
great heart's love sweetens and tenders eY&ry fiber of 
our soul, and bids us wait in brighter hope the happy 
day when he shall call us to our home. 

O home of my soul, 

In that far away goal; 

Each day brings me nearer to thee, 
The great throne so white, 



510 THE GOSPEL DAY. 

And my crown shining bright, 
Mine eyes ever longing to see. 

There's a musical strain 
From that far away plain; 

Its melody sweeps o'er my soul, 
While a wave of sweet peace 
In my heart shall increase, 

While the years of eternity roll. 



~*r 



JAN 20 1904 



